My Life for My Prince
by pooktales
Summary: Tempted by a magical addiction, overwhelming sorrow and anger, Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider has one last chance to redeem himself. Redemption is a woman Bloodknight named Saturna Whiteblade. But will their love be stronger than his pain and The Betrayer?
1. Prologue

**My Life for My Prince**

(Disclaimer: This story is based upon a game called World of Warcraft. Therefore, I do not claim any rights to their story, or game.)

Tempted by a magical addiction, his overwhelming sorrow, powerful anger, and The Betrayer, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider has one last chance to redeem himself. Redemption has arrived at the Black Temple in the form of a woman Bloodknight named Saturna Whiteblade. Can their love put an end to the suffering of Blood Elves, people of all races in Outland, and beyond? Or, is the power of The Betrayer far stronger than even Masters of the Light?

**Prologue:**

Saturna Whiteblade loosened the sword called Ashbringer from across her back and dismounted. The other three Bloodknights watched her with grudging patience. They held their tongues, held everything back while she took consciously graceful strides. This is what their commander did when she had terrible news. Saturna placed both hands on the enormous sword. The delicate seductive walk of a female Blood Elf and the intense mean of a Bloodknight caused her to look like a fairy wielding death. The laughing skull that bore itself into the perfect blade belched putrid green fel magic in silent open jowls. It trailed down the hilt Saturna's sword and up her arms… but somehow the woman was not affected by the evil. As always, Saturna was more beautiful than even her blades.

"We are going to him." She announced to the men in her party.

Sunthraze the Sly cocked an irritated fiery eyebrow. Even for an elf, his hair was a comical orange, like rancid apple cider. "We have not only heard rumors, but now have seen that Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider is consorting with demons… first from travelers in Hellfire Peninsula, then in Zangarmarsh and it was on every tongue in Shatthrath City—how many duels did we start with Scryers that resulted in our banishment—and now we can see The Black Temple in the distance, the black demons flying about the turrets where we know our monarch is holding up… and we're doing WHAT?"

Saturna stopped pacing. She hefted the corrupted Ashbringer up onto her shoulder. The sharp edge shone melancholy in the sallow light of Shadowmoon Valley.

"That is our mission, to protect him."

Pyorin, who always carried a shield, indicated that he would speak next with a reluctant sigh. He was the loyal one with a heart made of steel as unbreakable as the shield he used. When they first set out from Azeroth, he was using a crest inlaid with a fiery flaming skull. They'd been traveling for some months now. These days, he'd picked up a frightening aegis with three petals—like a club found in a deck of Darkmoon Faire cards—and a sharpened spike that ripped up from the center of the shield where the three pieces joined. Pyorin wouldn't look at their commander but settled his concerned gaze on her Thalassian charger instead. Scourgebane lowered its head as if to graze, then perked up abruptly. Ears turned to one of many noises in the forest that chilled one's bones.

"Our mission seems exceptionally bleak." Pyorin respectfully disagreed. "It is clearly not what we first set out to do… what Lady Liadrin bade us to do when we were called together in Silvermoon City. If the Prince does in fact work for The Betrayer Illidan, then we can't possibly woo him on behalf of our Order. The courtly conversations we prepared to have, the demonstration of Bloodknight strength… are now irrelevant. It is not just about Silvermoon politics now."

"But it is our sworn duty as Bloodknights to safeguard the Prince no matter what—"

"You cannot seduce a man enslaved to demons! It would be madness to try, Saturna, and we've already risked our necks too far, learned too much."

Saturna's pale green eyes flared and she turned on Sunthraze immediately. "How dare you speak to your commander thus—"

"Mistress, please." Fennore was a priest before he became a Bloodknight a few years ago. Though he wore plate and rode a Bloodknight's war mount like the rest of them, he rarely spoke save to counsel someone. He still felt to the others like a priest. "Certainly you aren't naïve. I'm sure Lady Liadrin asked you to take full advantage of all your assets in the Prince's presence." Then, he hesitated awkwardly. "That is to say… you are a very beautiful woman, sexy even…" he stumbled along further, "I mean that you are an exceptional fighter, a clever tactician, the very best of Lady Liadrin's handpicked pupils. Of course you would…" he blushed, then blurt out, "Why would you spare anything to displace the Rangers, or worse the Magisters in the Sunspire? Clearly, Rommath is corrupt and favoring his own. Bloodknights are the true masters of the Light. We should be leading our people. We came all this way to deliver this message to Prince Kael'thas ourselves, since Rommath would never give Lady Liadrin an audience, or hardly the time of day… along with your retributive powers, I'm sure putting those good elven looks to work was also on the Lady's list."

Saturna couldn't face Fennore. He was a strange one… no longer bound by priestly vows of celibacy but refusing to act on any of his urges. It caused him to spurt forth repressed behavior from time to time. His old habit of treating everyone in a paternal fashion persisted, regardless of his new flirtatious tendencies. As a result, he revealed far more about his desires than the others ever wished to know. It was more than disturbing.

Saturna opened her mouth to say something else, but Fennore leaned forward in the saddle and his twisted smile gave the woman pause. "You are very lovely, commander. It can be done to us men very easily," he gestured to Pyorin and Sunthraze, but both made resistant gestures to indicate that they did not think of their commander in the way Fennore suggested. Self-conscious, Fennore glanced back over his shoulder to see Pyorin and Sunthraze looking innocent. The old ex-priest went on. "But even you can't seduce a man to our side, not under such circumstances, and within the Black Temple of all places…" then his perverted smile widened, "unless… you have some demon fetish we don't yet know about." He winked at Saturna.

Why some succubus hadn't stolen Fennore off to her lair months ago back in Hellfire Peninsula baffled the other three Bloodknights. Saturna, Sunthraze and Pyorin shared a cautious look. It was a joke they'd made before when Fennore was sleeping… Sunthraze was right that the only reason the ex-priest was still with them was because Fennore would have to be the one convincing the succubus.

"It is a bad idea to continue." Pyorin smoothly changed the subject. He shrugged his shoulders to balance the weight of his massive shield. "Even if we get past The Betrayer's guards, how do we know that Prince Kael'thas will welcome our services? Perhaps he does not want to be found… he must know that his people are obsessed with his celebrity, as they always have been and are making pilgrimages across Outland just to see his face."

And those naïve Blood Elves were not much different than they. Saturna didn't say as much in response to Pyorin's correct observations, but she didn't need to. The others paused awkwardly afterwards, feeling the devotion to their Prince gnaw on their consciences. Loving Silvermoon City and the homeland was akin to loving the Prince.

Saturna walked over and stroked her horse's muzzle, just under the burnished gold face plate. "He could be in danger with… The Betrayer." The demon lord of Outland was no longer a mystery to them. All four Bloodknights understood his role in the nefarious doings in this strange world. They knew more than Lady Liadrin and perhaps Grand Magister Rommath even.

Offering to protect Prince Kael'thas, wherever he was, was supposed to be their in… then once impressed with the strength of Thalassian paladins, called Bloodknights, they could share Lady Liadrin's political goals with the Prince, ask him for favors. But, if Prince Kael'thas really was in danger, then they had absolutely no choice. Regardless of what Lady Liadrin instructed them to do, protecting the prince would now take priority. The four of Bloodknights looked over the precipice, into the foreboding region called … where the Black Temple resided. How many bloody wars had been fought over that sacred and now profane place? Draenor had been ripped apart because of it, the pathetic remnants only fitting of a name just as vague and pitiful as was the fate of this world: Outland.

Seeing the Blood Elf Scryers and the Draenei Aldor work together with the Naaru while they spent time in Shatthrath city made the universal nature of the Legion's threat clear to the Bloodknights. Outland was a place that the Draenei had fled to join the Alliance on Azeroth. They hoped to fight the Legion with that help. Almost simultaneously on Azeroth, the Alliance betrayed the Blood Elves and they joined the Horde. The Blood Elves now raced across space and time itself to take what the destitute inhabitants of Outland left behind, all to escape the Scourge and the Legion. They did not have time to go back and ask Lady Liadrin what to do now. It was very possible that they might not survive the journey back through Outland. And sending a messenger was out of the question. The information they learned was dangerous and could not be risked leaking to the Horde or the Alliance. And even if one of them went back with the message… the four Blood Elves had been hand-picked for this mission because they had such complimentary skills. It would be foolish or dangerous to break the group. Perhaps in Azeroth one of them could be strong against any test, but Outland was far more dangerous. Even Lady Liadrin could never have imagined… Now the four Bloodknights, a new sect of paladin, knew that their' people's race to leave Eversong Woods and Azeroth behind for Outland was a mad one. And, if their rough journey so far was any indication, the man they were sent to have an audience with--by slyly offering to protect him--must be even worse off… for living so close to the vile source of that madness.

Saturna re-slung her sword and mounted up again. She turned her steed Scourgebane to the east. One could see the black turrets of the temple from where they were atop the cliff. Saturna sat up straight on her mount and Scourgebane nickered to himself. Each netherworldly Thalassian charger had an odd hollow undertone to its neigh. "If we need to gain the Prince's trust, we will simply have to do something clever to earn it." A daring smile stretched across perfect lips, then faded. "From now on, when we speak of the Lord of Outland…" Her rich commanding voice grew soft. "We will call him Lord Illidan. For, to serve our Prince, we must honor his alliance. We will have no choice." She urged Scourgebane forward. "Furthermore… if anyone can truly help Prince Kael'thas, it would be a Master of the Light. He has four saviors now…" her voice trailed off as she descended.

Pyorin, their dutiful tank was exceptionally loyal and fell in behind Saturna immediately. Fennore sighed and guided his charger along as well. Sunthraze delayed the longest. Bright green eyes flashed angry at the putrid chartreuse of the fel sunset.

"Oh lovely Saturna. If I didn't enjoy watching you ride so much…" he forced himself to joke against the sinking feeling in his gut. Sunthraze the Sly clucked his tongue at the Thalassian charger underneath him to follow suit.

_That evening at the Black Temple..._

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider floated in and out of the painful but brilliant arcane haze. His strong body now felt heavy and sloven. The magic pushed at his skin from the inside, threatened to erupt out of every pore in his body. He smiled and laughed. Then Lianna bit his neck and he wanted to scream. It would not be an unwelcome sound in the Black Temple.

"Please, scream." Lianna begged. Large green dilated pupils met his own. Kael'thas felt the heat rush to his loins where the other woman moaned against him. A third… he didn't remember her name, crouched beneath the woman at his back and ran her warm tongue up and down his spine. He lashed out and tried to grab hold of her. He wanted her ontop of him too.

"Yes, my prince. I will give you my body, I would give you my life!" was the desperate response. The third woman, her name was Thera, almost pushed the second woman Jacinta out of his lap to get to him. Jacinta fought Thera and they snarled at each other, looking feral, like harpies before Kael'thas became coherent enough to make them stop.

"Don't fight over me." he chuckled, "Just have another…" he rolled onto his side and almost dropped the arcane crystal he reached for on the table. Jacinta's eyes went wide when she saw it and snatched it from the heir to the Thalassian throne. She let Thera shove her aside and went happily to the floor. She pressed the crystal to her naked breast, rolled on the red carpet with it, and with the agility of a rogue, deftly came to her feet and slid it down her stomach between her wet thighs and then brought it before her face again. She turned her back to Kael'thas then rubbed her fingers against the pulsating white stone. Her shoulders sagged as she siphoned more and more of the energy, then she tossed her head back in ecstasy.

"Careful Jacinta, or you'll overdose." Lianna gently warned. Lianna bit Kael'thas' neck again, and he was torn away from watching the mesmerizing woman get high off an arcane crystal.

He cringed against the exceptional pain at his neck. When he closed his eyes he saw colors. "Let her." he waved a dismissive hand in Jacinta's direction. Thera drove into him hard then, and he exhaled ragged moans of pleasure. He seized Jacinta's backside with eager sweaty palms. Then the handsome prince raised up and drove further inside her, hungry.

Now Thera looked green. Everything looked green. Kael'thas tried to ignore that warning sign. He pushed himself still further, past physical boundaries. Thera's bouncing backside reminded him of riding a hawkstrider, of animals mating. He laughed at how far he'd come to fail his people, how low he was sinking now to be having an orgy when all of Outland and beyond was suffering. Was he on the side of the Legion yet? Kael'thas did not want to know. He did not want to think about it.

_Let's celebrate the anniversary of the betrayal, when They went down to Shatthrath City and abandoned me…Lord Illidan has said nothing, but a year of silence has passed already but I know he plots against me. All is finally lost! Everything I've done turned to ash and ruins… Come, let's make the Scryers hear how I don't need them… I don't need anyone!_

Wasn't that what he said to Lianna, Jacinta, and Thera when they entered his room some hours ago? They were supposed to be having a late night meeting, but Kael'thas went too far while he waited for his officers to arrive… the crystals were supposed to help him forget about the Scryers, about everything for a few precious moments. Prince Kael'thas didn't remember how this all started exactly. He recalled being picked up from the floor and dragged to the bed. There was some worried discussion about what to do, then the women must have noticed his stash of arcane crystals spilled all over the table… they decided to join him.

Kael'thas opened his eyes again, but everything was still green. He was going arcane-blind.

The ashen face of his father's corpse flashed for a moment through all the green. Then the world went black.

"There's no pulse! Someone get Lady Vash, and her magic!" Lianna cradled Prince Kael'thas' head in her arms.

Jacinta was dancing naked by herself across the room and Thera still rode their passed out monarch. Lianna tried to make her mind work, to think of what to do next but sense was finally losing her.

"So much… pretty green. Thera? Can you see me Thera? I can't see you…" Then, Lianna felt very tired and lay down next to Kael'thas.

Thera orgasmed then. The powerful arcane energy spiked in her body then too, and she started screaming with joy. Certainly others in the Black Temple heard her. None cared enough to intervene.

It caused the dancing Jacinta to remember that she wasn't by herself. She came over to the bed, where Kael'thas lay motionless. She bent over him, with sad eyes. "You're too handsome to die. Don't worry. We love you, our Prince. We would die for you." Jacinta gently kissed the man's sweaty forehead. She didn't understand that perilous death was very near to him. Each time Kael'thas got high, he pushed further and further. Perhaps this time, he finally pushed too far.

Prince Kael'thas' face was lifeless for a long moment, then his brow furrowed and he began whispering… something about Anasterian, the Sunwell, Jaina, the Scourge, Arthas… too many things to remember.

"Oh, he's alright... see? The pulse came back. Kael's just having nightmares again." Thera smiled at Jacinta and sank into the red silk sheets next him, opposite Lianna who lay at his other side. Thera reached an arm across the defined pectoral muscles of the prince and hugged him tight.

Jacinta blinked and reached for another arcane crystal. "Is he really? I can't see anything but green now. I think we've gone too far again."

"Me … too…" Now Thera could not put a sentence together. She fell asleep. Jacinta held the white crystal in shaky hands and sank to her knees at the foot of Kael'thas' bed. She smiled at how intensely green everything was, then slumped over when blackness eventually consumed her.

Yes, they would die for their prince. You see, it is possible to drown in another person's sorrows.


	2. Three champions are traded for four

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter One: Three champions are traded for four**

After his embarrassing night with the three women, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider wisely named Lianna, Thera, and Jacinta his champions. Anyone with a sliver of political savvy would catch on that it wasn't a true gesture of endearment, but a way of enforcing silence upon them. The champion of a Blood Elf prince has no right to share his dirty secrets. Her job would be the opposite, to keep them to herself, guard them with her life. If the three rogues had any career aspirations, Kael'thas' promoting them could also be seen as a little gift, a scratch on the back for helping him with his itch. However the Blood Elf prince purchased the ladies' silence didn't make a difference though. Lianna, Thera, and Jacinta let all the glowing prestige go to their heads.

"They go too far," a hissing Naga conveyed Lord Illidan's warning message to Kael'thas a few weeks later. Wave Commander Scy' lethrin's shining green scales reflected oddly in the red candlelight of Kael'thas' private chambers. His usual residence was Tempest Keep but Lord Illidan requested that his ally Kael'thas relocate the brunt of his Blood Elf forces to the Black Temple. Shatthrath City was observed to be buzzing with Azerothian adventurers who declared a Burning Crusade on Outland, especially these days. Invasion was imminent.

Kael'thas smoothly readjusted his red hood lower over his bloodshot eyes. He managed it almost naturally, without his hands shaking very much.

"What are a few officers with bloodied noses?" he smirked, feigning confidence in the situation. "My Sunfury are strong, they understand that my intelligence officers are just flexing their muscles. Once they show proper respect, Jacinta and the others will—"

"Even Lord Illidan treats the Naga and his demons better. I am shocked to hear you talk about your people this way."

Now Prince Kael'thas' hands really did shake. He put down the tome he was pretending to translate. "No one has ever complained about my leadership—"

"Not to your face, no. Not in your language, no. But I serve one who watches you critically. He says little about you but knowsss everything…" the Wave Commander Scy'lethrin hissed the end and cocked his head to the side, looking primitive. Then he grinned and showed rows of tiny pointed white teeth.

Kael'thas was afraid to say anything else.

"_He_ is watching you. If you do not get your so-called Champions under control, our Lord and Master will cease to indulge your nasty mortal urges."

Kael'thas' eyes darted to a small fel iron chest at the far end of the room.

"No… he would not take those crystals away from you. But other addictions… these are very finite in his eyes. And lately they are getting in the way!" Then Commander Scy'lethrin slammed his flat palm on the table and Kael'thas flinched. The reptilian creature laughed. Air sucked through the closed gills and made a terrible wheezing noise to go along with the serpentine hiss. Kael'thas imagined it sounded even worse under water. Then, without asking permission, the Naga slithered out of Kael'thas' royal presence.

When the door closed, Kael'thas got up and began pacing instantly. "Damn them! Damn me for trusting those insidious rogues…" he really began to panic. "Now I'm in a bind because I can't keep away from those damnable crystals! Nor can I work, my senses are so frayed without them." He leaned on the table and stared at the old tome he pretended to read every time someone came to visit. He noticed then that it was a primer on arcane magic, a child's book. Today he'd cut back a bit... just how incoherent was he normally, to use a book like that as a cover? No doubt everyone knew how helpless he was now… surely even Lord Illidan knew. Kael'thas seized the book in both hands and trembled with his addiction, trembled with rage at himself. He growled in anguish and tore the book apart.

Even if he did speak to his three female champions… they wouldn't listen. They would continue to abuse the other Sunfury officers and go against his orders. He had no idea what they were up to now. The three women had disappeared weeks ago.

"If fate has any favor left for me, after everything I've lost… even the slightest of kindness, I beg her to use it now…" he sat back down, a forlorn look on his face. "Please escort those monsters I created into some horrible trouble that no one can possibly blame me for, so that I can put them into shackles."

Fate is a very sly girl.

The Human Paladin did not know it but three sadistic women guarded every flank of his gold-clad charger. He even sang a little song--the kind that you only sing while bathing because you aren't a professional bard--as the elevator to the Scryer's Tier ascended. Jacinta smiled under her assassin's mask. Thera made a rude gesture to his snorting horse. Lianna was the silent one. She was only slightly smarter than the other two because she actually noticed when Prince Kael'thas overdosed on arcane crystals a few weeks ago and almost killed himself. That none of the three women were lucid enough to do anything about it didn't bode well for Kael'thas in the Black Temple or here in Shatthrath City or anywhere else for that matter.

"That paladin is kind of cute." Thera whispered to Jacinta. Their giggling caused the Human to almost fall out of his saddle.

"Is someone there?" he asked. Lianna cringed then raised the back of her hand as if to slap the other two. They waited for the Human paladin to calm down and leave the elevator.

All three women crouched low and crept to their left, away from the Arcane Constructs. The two enormous Sin'dorei war machines whirred and clicked, large stone hands reached into the air and grasped at nothing. The arcane crystals at their joints flared bright like the sun reflected in a mirror. Kael'thas' intelligence officers who were part rogue, part spy, part arcane crystal junkies flashed hungry looks at the machines before skulking past them. This was planned very carefully. A tiny magic dampener had been lodged into a crevice in the elevator platform.

Lianna made a silent hand gesture in stealth, one not so threatening this time, and the other two women nodded and split up. Thera crept into the Library and skirted Blood Elves carrying stacks of books. When she saw Voren'thal the Seer she knelt in a corner, folded her hands into her lap and waited. Jacinta crawled on her stomach behind vendors and around tents to where Dathris Sunstriker stood in his full plate armor. She crouched low in the tent behind him and watched an Orc shaman finish up a conversation before drawing her dagger. Lianna smiled wickedly as she crept behind the Scryer innkeeper. They'd rolled dice--of course they were _her_ dice--to see who would get the innkeeper. It was every rogue's dream to make such an easy and emasculating kill in front of the enemy.

A horrible feminine shriek pierced the air on the Scryer's Tier. A dagger ripped through the Innkeeper's side. Another warcry joined the first and Dathris Sunstriker was felled. Thera went last. She simply stood up then slowly slit the Vorn'thal The Seer's throat. The Blood Elves then raced to the base of the Library where they met and sprinted to freedom. They slid easily past confused passerby, many of whom weren't familiar with Tempest Keep and couldn't tell the difference between the Sunfury and Kael'thas' recently turned Scyrers. Guards who attempted to stop the three rogues were stabbed with glowing green throwing knives or surprised with tainted mana residue that made them blind. Really, permanently blind. Kael'thas' champions had stolen the best of magical warfare from Illidan's vaults in the Black Temple for their personal game. Why would Lord Illidan be kind towards his enemies?

Lianna, Thera, and Jacinta came to the end of the red carpet and boarded the elevator just in time. The whole event was timed well. The three of them knocked shoulders into a young Draenei standing there and he yelped, fell backwards, then down thousands of feet to his death. The Arcane Constructs saw them but did nothing. The magic dampener planted on the elevator held true.

The women faced the baffled guards and saluted. "Remember the Sunwell!" Jacinta shouted.

"For Kael'thas!" Thera cried out after.

"Death to _all_ who oppose us, death to the Scryers!" Lianna screamed last. Before the elevator fully descended, all three women jumped off the edge and vanished into stealth. Then they split up and met again some miles outside the city at a predetermined spot in Terrokar forest.

"They say that when A'dal heard the news, he wept." Lianna reported to Prince Kael'thas when they returned to the Black Temple a week later. A little while ago, when a runner came and informed the Prince that the flying mounts of his Champions were spotted overhead, he swore and held his head in his hands.

Now, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider had to sit down. He was prepared for the worst, but not something like this. The three assassins stood at the other side of the small table. Jacinta broke out of her smirk for a moment to examine his torn arcane magic primer. "Why are you reading that thing? Isn't it for children?"

"Aren't you a Bloodmage and a master of arcane magic?" Thera added.

Prince Kael'thas lost it. "You… IDIOTS went down to Shatthrath City, assassinated the head of the Scryers and told everyone that it was MY idea?" He wanted to pull out his long hair and almost did.

"But they deserved it for betraying you, my Prince. The Scryers are our enemies." Lianna insisted in a calm voice.

"I know that they are our enemies… aren't you the very ones who bring the security reports to me? Don't you know that the attacks on the Black Temple have increased of late? These aren't official Sha'tar forces, but Alliance and Horde… sometimes Orcs and Humans working together. They are coming directly from Shatthrath City. How do you think the real brunt of Sha'tar forces will react when they hear about what you did?"

The three woman opened slack jaws and shrugged at eachother's vacant gazes.

"They will take it as an open declaration of war! Lord Illidan did _not_ give me persmission to—"

"You are not his slave, Prince Kael'thas." Lianna lifted her chin with authority. "You can do whatever you like, even take revenge on those who hurt you. The Scryers committed treason, and they deserve nothing better, unless…" then she paused, "Unless you don't think what they did merited treason."

The other two rogues leaned in, eager for his answer.

"The men you killed… were friends of mine, once, long ago… I am furious with them now, what they did is an offense to all of Silvermoon!" then Kael'thas leaned to the side as if he'd lost the will to control even his own body. "I wasn't ready for them to… I never wished to put the dagger in their backs myself, the way they did to me."

Lianna opened her mouth in shock. "The so-called Scryers? The betrayers?"

"There is someone else here called The Betrayer!" Kael'thas roared.

The women fell silent.

"Is he evil? Is he plotting our deaths? No, he gave me what was promised, and now we are serving him in turn, like the Naga. How dare you go and do something so vile in my name!" Kael'thas gained courage, "And now my name is _his_ name!"

Kael'thas' knuckles went white as he gripped the armrests of his elaborate high back chair. His apartments were lush, done in scarlet and gold. Nothing had been spared to make the prince comfortable far away from home.

"Your name is your own." Thera parroted Lianna. She lowered her eyes.

"Are you mocking me?"

"No, my liege." She bowed her head reverently.

Prince Kael'thas stood. "No, I believe you are. I think that when I allowed you to come here to me some weeks ago, you let it go to your head. That is _not_ what happened here."

"That has nothing to do with this, Kael'thas." Lianna sneered.

"Do not be so familiar with me." Prince Sunstrider thrust a chin at them. It was perfect, clefted. His features were sharp but deeply masculine, elegant. It was hard not to stare at him because he was very good to look at.

Lianna forced herself to look away. "What we did with you, there," she pointed at the plush round bed behind him, "was not seduction, or some game… we saw how you hurt. We only wanted to love you, for a while. Don't you remember? There was a time in Silvermoon when an orgy was welcome by one of your status—"

"We are not in Silvermoon. We will _not_ carry on the very hedonistic practices that blinded us when the Scourge came tearing down our walls." Kael'thas paced in a circle then turned sharp on his heel. His red robes made a loud rustling noise. "Do you know the real reason why we refused to join the Humans' Alliance? Three fourths of us were lounging before hookas and the Sunwell, with palms plastered to arcane crystals, our brains melting out of our heads! Did we come here to Outland, after being rejected by the Alliance and all of Azeroth just to repeat our mistakes? Perhaps those men committed treason and deserved to die, but not the way you did it… not with such dishonor."

The other women bristled. Lianna spoke for them again, "You are weak, just like everyone else! You can't even make up your mind about the Scryers. Do you hate them, or do you forgive them? Sitting here, pretending to read a children's book and look busy when Lord Illidan calls on you… you only just now noticed it was a book beneath your level of education, and that's why it's in pieces, isn't it?"

Kael'thas would not meet her eyes.

"Do you know why we've beat up so many of the Sunfury? Why there are reports of abuse reaching your desk?" Lianna persisted. Clearly these women had their ears tuned to everything going on around them, as his Intelligence Officers. "Because we needed to shut their mouths. You wouldn't believe the things they are saying against you, my Prince, that you are a weakling, an addict. At least the three of us could add lecher to that list… maybe the men will at least respect you. You should be grateful for what we did." Then she turned to her cohorts. "In fact, I think that we should do more. You aren't worthy of the power you command. A whole year went by since the Scryers left and you showed no kind of reaction. Now you know what everyone thinks of your pathetic, self-loathing stupor!"

"Guards!" Kael'thas yelled.

Grim Blood Elf soldiers carrying phoenix shields marched into the prince's room.

"These three… are no longer my champions." He pointed to Lianna, Jacinta, and Thera with a trembling hand. "They have shamed me, they have shamed all of us. Put them behind bars."

The women outraged and twisted in the hands of their captors.

"Have you gone mad! We've done everything for you, everything you've ever asked of us!" Thera screamed. "Is this how we're rewarded for being the only women here brave enough to sate your royal cock!" Then she doubled over when a guard slammed her in the stomach with the butt of his sword.

Prince Kael'thas shared a look with the other man. He did not thank him, for he feared to qualify that statement. Instead he walked over to Thera and lifted her chin with a forefinger and a thumb.

"Look at me." Kael'thas hoped his voice sounded forceful enough. Thera's bottom lip quivered. A tear crept down her cheek and stained his finger.

"What you three have done is horrible. You are no better than the Scryers for acting without my permission. It's nearly as unthinkable. The fate I give you is a mercy…" He dared to add, "a mercy for a mercy, for coming to me that night." Then he let her go and addressed all of the rogues. "When Illidan marches into Shatthrath and lays siege to the city, you will not be among the traitors on Scryers' Tier we will destroy first."

"That was a very good show just now," Jacinta spat back as the guards removed them from the room. "Does that mean you're actually sober?"

Kael'thas watched them leave. He had a sudden urge to pyroblast everything in his room, but decided it was the crystals making him feel so volatile.

It took almost a month to traverse through Shadowmoon Valley to the Black Temple on horseback. As it turned out, Saturna and the other Bloodknights arrived just in time.

"So what is this clever thing we're going to do to win the Prince's trust? Those demon guards don't look like they are going to stand down." Sunthraze the Sly complained loudly. They were still a ways off from the entrance of the temple, but it did not look promising.

Saturna's shoulders hunched with irritation. The corrupted Ashbringer rattled against the back of her breastplate. She never wore a cape.

"I told you to just trust me on this. Let me do most of the talking." She reminded her party.

Sunthraze sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes.

Pyorin the Tank was at the back of their little procession for a good reason. "Mistress Whiteblade, would the raiding party of angry Orcs and Humans charging at us from behind have anything to do with your plan?"

Saturna twisted around in the saddle to see for herself. "Oh shit!"

"You… sound surprised." Pyorin worried. Apparently, he had a lot more faith in their leader than anyone else.

"It seems Shatthrath City wanted to follow up on our banishment. And at that, they move fast. Every one of them has a flying mount." Fennore frowned.

"No wonder we didn't hear them sneaking up on us." Saturna watched, helpless, as the allies of the Sha'tar landed their flying mounts. She grimaced when she recognized a great many Scryer faces.

"I _told _you we should have stayed in Shatthrath long enough to earn gold for our own flying mounts." Sunthraze loosened the enormous Blackened Spear he carried slung across his back and took it in hand.

Saturna's swearing at his untimely remarks was drowned out by the sound of the enemy closing in the distance, fast. She turned her horse around in the middle of the road, and the other three paladins followed the wordless command to attack.

That was how Prince Kael'thas first saw her.

He shifted awkwardly on his golden Hawkstrider, at the entrance to the Black Temple. The seething dispassion in the Sunfury soldiers who no longer respected him made the languid haze of arcane magic coursing through Kael'thas' veins even more terrible. He was sure that death was ready to meet him because of those damned rogues, but wasn't even lucid enough to fear it. When Lord Illidan heard news of the incoming attack, he ordered Kael'thas to 'go clean up his mess'... his had been through Naga Wave Commander Scy'thlerin of course.

When the enemy soldiers shouted their battlecries, their curses for revenge, one woman in the far off road crouched low and drew a long blade in front of her. Three others drew weapons and formed a file behind her. Kael'thas could sense the fel energy wafting off the corrupted Ashbringer from where he waited for the onslaught. Who were these four Blood Elf soldiers, and why were they protecting him?

Then the woman screamed and dragged the blade around in a circle. She leapt into the air and her perfect body twisted elegantly. Through his daze, Kael'thas thought he was seeing it in slow motion. He saw her evil corrupted blade turn white and she too dazzled with the exotic spell she cast. When the woman landed on hands and knees, the white blade had been loosed into the marauding throng.

It rotated exactly three turns mid air before exploding into the enemy front line. The white Light consumed every man and beast there and then expanded on that horizon in a silent eruption of searing white and red blood.

He blinked, feeling shock and horror for the first time. His heart raced, and he wondered if he had been hallucinating. The corrupted Ashbringer was again in the woman's hand, but half the charging raid was decimated. Exclamations rising up from Sunfury around him told Prince Kael'thas he wasn't seeing things.

"For Kael'thas!" the woman shrieked and her three comrades ran up behind her, brandishing weapons.

The Prince could not take his eyes off the battle. He feared to even speak or act as the miracle took place in front of him. He had seen paladins fighting before, he knew that these four were such soldiers… but the way they wielded the Light, as if it were but magic, any magic. And the woman who led them had just done a thing with her sword that he never saw any retribution paladin do before, by turning it white.

"Should we assist them?" Kael'thas' general politely interjected after a time. Kael'thas came back to his senses then. He gave the order and his army went out to meet hers.

But they got there too late. The four paladins finished off what was left of the angry raid from Shatthrath City with expert precision. The woman paladin had turned the tide of battle instantly by cutting the size of the enemy in half, making the odds against them two to one.

"Who are you?" Prince Kael'thas crossed through the threshold of bodies to where the four paladins stood recovering.

"I am Saturna Whiteblade." Saturna said in her rich voice. She bowed and the other men introduced themselves. Fennore was at a loss for a clever nickname like Sunthraze and Pyorin, so he referred to himself as 'the healadin.' No one laughed at his bad joke.

Perhaps Prince Kael'thas would not have been so obvious about his attraction to the woman during that first meeting if he weren't high on arcane crystals.

"You are well named, in my opinion." He smiled at Saturna.

Saturna stepped over the mangled body of an Orc. Her blade was just as green and bloodied.

"As are you." She knelt reverently. "You are he who walks by day and we are Bloodknights who seek to always follow in these shining footsteps. Will you allow us to continue our dedicated service to you, as our ancestors followed the first Sunstrider who crossed the Great Sea?"

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider dismounted and handed his reigns to a nearby Sunfury soldier.

"You speak so eloquently—"

"Because I speak the truth." She looked into his eyes. Her face was pained and beautiful. "We are Masters of the Light, but you are Silvermoon. Our blades," and she placed the corrupted Ashbringer on the ground at Kael'thas' feet. The other paladins removed their weapons and did the same. "…are yours to guide. Will you allow us to join you?"

Officers Lianna, Thera, and Jacinta could not be more perfectly replaced.

"I accept." Kael'thas said, but it sounded like he spoke solely to Saturna. When the other male Bloodknights bowed in response, the prince remembered his manners and stopped gazing at their alluring commander.

Author's Note:

So, I think to myself... it doesn't really hurt to write two fanfictions at once, does it? Especially when both are so much fun!


	3. Cause Kael'thas was high, Part I

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Two: Cause Kael'thas was high, part I**

Prince Kael'thas gave the four Bloodknights a tour of the Black Temple and showed them the soldier's quarters immediately after. His advisors did not seem happy about this. Several times, his general--who refused to leave his side—offered to do such 'petty work' himself, rather than let the heir to the Thalassian throne show around the guests. Kael'thas walked very near to Saturna and baldly ignored all the advice. He also developed a bad habit of speaking to the other three Bloodknights through the enchanting woman. Sunthraze was especially annoyed by this. He said something clever about it as soon as Kael'thas was no longer with them.

"Looks like someone else will be calling you _Mistress_ Whiteblade before long." He smirked. Kael'thas had given the men a room to share in the southern wing of the temple, downstairs. The large indoor space was dotted with neat Thalassian tents for Sunfury soldiers and stacks of supplies. The far end of the enormous room led down into a recessed courtyard. One could see the many stories of the temple along the walls above, and the eerie green night sky of Shadowmoon Valley beyond that. Animals and cookfires were kept there.

Saturna entered the men's room last and sat down on a cot next to Fennore. "I see you managed to emit some of your rude remarks before exploding, Sunthraze."

Fennore leaned his chin in his palm and rested on an elbow. "Are you truly so offended by his statement, Commander? We three are sharing a room while others sleep out there in tents. He gestured through the doorway to a view of the soldiers bedding down for the night. Saturna got up and closed the door so none of them could see. "Mistress Saturna, _you_ are faring better than even Kael'thas' general. You have your own room."

"That's nonsense. General Blaize has one of a few coveted rooms down here as well."

"I noticed that he shares it with his officers, though." Pyorin removed a silver gauntlet and smoothed his long black hair out of his face. He scratched his black goatee. "Or… perhaps he _now_ shares it with his officers, having lost this room."

"Or _yours._" Sunthraze raised both his orange eyebrows and used a ghoulish voice.

Saturna laughed. "It's just because I'm a woman. The Prince is a gentleman, and he doesn't think I should have to change in front of all you perverts."

"I'm not the one who had to stuff his hands into his pockets to keep from grabbing your ass while we were on that tour." Sunthraze teased back.

Saturna frowned. "Do I need to remind you that your nickname has nothing to do with how clever you are? Back during our training days, everyone agreed that you had a smart mouth. It is going to get you into trouble one day, Sunthraze."

The other guys burst into laughter. They were all there at the time. It was years ago, and it had been an exciting experience to be the first paladins ever trained in Silvermoon. Once they were done in the Ghostlands the twenty or so of them went on their own separate paths. It was Lady Liadrin who thought well enough of four shining careers to bring Saturna, Sunthraze, Pyorin, and Fennore back together again. Every day was like a miniature class reunion.

"I'm not in trouble yet, am I?" Sunthraze leaned back in his cot and folded his arms behind his flaring ponytail. After everyone was done laughing, he added, "But you are, M'Lady. You have a bed _with a mattress_ all to yourself in there. We all saw the room."

"I'm afraid he's right, Saturna." Fennore smiled. "Nor does that door have a key that I saw. The lock was apparent though."

"I bet it's in the Prince's pocket." Pyorin mumbled under his breath.

Saturna reached over and slapped Pyorin's shoulder playfully. He was standing in the middle of the room. "You of all people! I thought you were most loyal to me?"

Pyorin shrugged innocently with his huge shoulders then gave a charming smile. As a rule, Blood Elves are lean, but Pyorin was taller and more muscular than Sunthraze or Fennore. Fennore was still as slender as his priestly days.

They joked about old times for a while until Pyorin began yawning conspicuously. Always the mediator, he hated to put Saturna out of the room.

"Alright, sleep well, gentlemen." Saturna sighed, and excused herself.

"Goodnight, Saturna." They said, but Saturna paused at the door.

After an awkward moment, Sunthraze rolled over onto his stomach and scratched his head. "Are we afraid to go to our bedroom alone, dearie?" he snickered. Saturna stopped smiling.

She began to pace.

"Oh no! Not again." Sunthraze griped. "The last time you paced like that… well, we ended up here."

"I think you all should help me with something tomorrow."

None of the men dared volunteer until they learned what the favor was.

"This is a matter of security, it's a priority actually. We must see to this before taking any other measures to ensure the Prince's safety."

The men shared looks, but no one spoke up.

Saturna sighed and went on, "Did… no one else notice Prince Kael'thas' eyes?"

They shrugged.

"Well, they were very intense… and a little bloodshot."

"He just uses more mana crystals than the rest of us." Pyorin offered.

"No… I don't think so. And despite what Sunthraze observed about his hands, I think Kael'thas was hiding them because he couldn't control them." Then she flashed an angry look at Fennore who snickered. "Not in _that_ way. They kept shaking… I think all of us have abused a little arcane magic at least once in our lives, but the Prince clearly has a problem. I think we should fix that."

Sunthraze's eyes went wide. "I am NOT going to help you force an intervention on Prince Kael'thas. Do you even know what a Bloodmage _is_, oh fearless leader?"

"Of course I do—"

"Then why are you asking us to risk life and limb by incurring his wrath? It goes directly against every effort we've made to come this far." Pyorin sided with Sunthraze which surprised Saturna.

"He wouldn't _hurt_ us—"

"Do you know how someone can get if they are forced to quit abusing arcane magic?" Fennore sat up in his cot. "They get angry, even violent. We should not put ourselves in the position of having to choose whether or not to hit Prince Kael'thas back, because he _is_ going to hit us."

Saturna was going to object further when Sunthraze cut her off. "If you dare say that it is our duty to protect the Prince, I'm going to have to put you out."

The lovely Blood Elf sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "I see that I cannot force you." She lifted an admonishing finger. "Though there _will_ be a time when I am going to need to you to help me do something dangerous and a simple 'No' will not suit."

Pyorin drew covers up over himself. "Why is it alright for us to object now?"

Saturna opened the door to leave. "Because, you all are right this time. The three of you can't help. What I'm about to do… is a woman's job. I think that under the circumstances, I should work alone." Then, she put a hand on her hip and winked suggestively at Sunthraze before he could make the inevitable comment.

The others wolfwhistled and laughed as Saturna shut the door.

"Man oh man, if she wasn't my superior--" Sunthraze began shaking his head.

"But she is, so shut it." Pyorin warned in his baritone. Fennore smiled at Sunthraze in the dark, and Sunthraze silently rolled his eyes at Pyorin.

Prince Kael'thas was predictable. He returned the next morning, supposedly to show the Bloodknights more of the temple. The look of surprise on the faces of watching Sunfury soldiers reassured Saturna that her comrade's comments the night before had merit. Clearly Prince Kael'thas was not acting normally because he had a crush on her.

Today, Saturna decided to use it to her advantage. She let Kael'thas open doors for her, she commented on his magical acumen, dared to flirt with him in front of his advisors once or twice. She even braved the knowing gazes of her fellow paladins. Kael'thas seemed not to be aware of the others, and relished the attention.

"You have exceptional magical skill, Mistress Saturna." Prince Kael'thas told her.

Sunthraze looked at Saturna sideways, but she ignored him. "I've seen a great deal of experience on the battlefield. It was a journey into floating Scourge temple Naxxramas that awarded me the corrupted Ashbringer, though I learned how to turn my blade white long before that."

"Really? I would very much like to speak with you about that later, in private."

Saturna checked over her shoulder warily. The three Bloodknights pretended to be enamored with some sculpture on the far wall.

"It would be an honor, my Prince."

"Perhaps tonight?"

"Your Majesty, may I remind you that the Naga have planned a meeting—"

Prince Kael'thas waved off the annoying advisor.

Saturna was tempted to decline. Kael'thas had a predatory look in his eyes… she wondered if it was the arcane magic making him act so bold, like a love-crazed teenager. Suddenly, understanding washed through her.

"Yes, that would be nice." She confirmed. Sunthraze smirked.

"Perfect." Prince Kael'thas had a very disarming smile. "I can send someone along to show you where my apartments are."

"No, forgive me, my Prince. I don't think that would be appropriate."

Kael'thas stopped walking. "Why not?" he sounded angry.

Pyorin stepped forward, but Fennore put a hand on the man's arm.

Saturna inhaled a patient breath, fearful of what she had to say next. "If… we went to my room instead…" she lowered her voice and turned it sultry.

Prince Kael'thas' left eye twitched. Saturna feared he'd lose control any moment. No wonder that no one else succeeded at addressing his problem before. Perhaps he became volatile when he did not get what he wanted, while the drug flowed through his veins.

"Yes. That makes sense." Prince Kael'thas smiled, but he sounded more than a bit disappointed. Saturna chanced a helpless look at her friends before moving on as well.

"We should help her," Pyorin whispered to Fennore who still clutched the other man's arm.

"We can't." Sunthraze came over and whispered on Fennore's behalf. "I don't think Saturna was joking about having to go it alone last night. You know, I wouldn't want to be the other man in the room when Saturna reveals her true intentions and turns him down."

Then they all pretended to listen to the Prince's verbose advisor who began explaining a ruined wall ahead of them. The advisor said something about Ner'zhul and Orc warlocks before everyone tuned him out.

_Later that evening…_

Saturna pretended not to notice how Kael'thas locked the door after boldly entering her room. He hadn't even knocked. She paid careful attention to where he stashed the key though.

"You look lovely… in your plate." The Prince said. Now he sounded dejected at the end. Saturna tried not to worry how he flew from one extreme emotion to another.

Saturna let herself smile back. "I regret not having a dress, or any formal spare clothing." she lied, then flashed a smile. "It goes against my good breeding." Saturna felt bad for him, and so removed her gauntlets. Next, she unfastened the corrupted Ashbringer from her back and leaned it against the wall. The plate was for her own protection, but there was no need to be so obvious about it.

The small room had a few nearly empty bookshelves and a table with two chairs along one wall. The prince invited her to sit, though it was not his room. Saturna didn't like how aggressive he was. She wondered just how many crystals he'd had before meeting her for their date.

"I like this room you gave me, it's not burnt out and covered in Orc graffiti like the others we saw on the tour." Saturna joked.

They both laughed together. How Blood Elves managed to call the near ruined temple of Kalabor home was a mystery.

"No, this one was still locked tight when Lord Illidan moved in." Kael'thas said. "At least, that is what Lady Vashj told me."

Saturna turned the conversation away from the terrifying Naga queen and The Betrayer. "Prince Kael'thas,"

"Please, we don't need to be so formal here." He flashed a sly smile at her. It came off false, and Saturna was really irritated at how hard he was trying. If this was a real date, Saturna the woman would have made an excuse to leave already. But, Saturna the Bloodknight reminded herself that she was first and foremost a protector of the Prince. She had to go through with this.

"Kael'thas," she started over. The prince grinned at her again and she gave her tight-lipped smile back. To describe Prince Kael'thas as a handsome man was an understatement. He had beautiful features, a woman could spend forever getting lost in the intense masculine gaze that smacked of power, of sexual prowess. However, there was latent desperation in Kael'thas overconfident attitude. It turned Saturna right off. To seduce him out of that key, she was going to have to work past it though. Saturna moved her chair around closer, and leaned in. "I'm glad we're alone like this."

He grinned wide, predatory. His eyes glanced over her shoulder, to the bed. Saturna hated it, but put a hand on his knee. She pretended not to notice how far her fingertips roved up this thigh, an old trick.

"Let me tell you how I turned my blade white," she spoke slowly, her beautiful lips enunciated every word. Fair skin and pale blonde hair made Saturna look the classic image of Highborne beauty. She used her rare features to tempt the royal palette… everyone spoke about how Jaina Proudmore was fair-skinned and blonde.

"It is like a Lay on Hands spell." Kael'thas flinched when Saturna united what weren't dirty words with a dirty act.

"Oh! Did I… touch something by accident?" she feigned innocence. "I'm sorry."

"No you aren't." Kael'thas' eyes traveled the length of her body, mesmerized. Saturna wanted to curl up and die. How many times had she used these lines on other men? Somehow, though, it wasn't fun anymore. Saturna bit her lip and pushed her hand back into Kael'thas' lap. That he wore his red royal robes made it interesting.

"I can turn the blade white just as often…" Saturna had a surprisingly dirty mouth for a paladin, "and with the same sacrifice as a Lay on Hands spell, though I don't get any life back from it. My mana, the essence of myself," she tossed a silken lock away from her face and smiled. "is sacrificed." She sounded like she was going to lay down on some Troll altar before a hungry Old God at that moment, "and in exchange, the living Light consumes my blade. Then, I hurl it at the enemy," she tried not to laugh at herself when she thrust her shoulders forward. Kael'thas was drinking it in eagerly.

"No, it's not an exchange, but a transformation." He lowered his eyes, thinking about her words. "The Light transcends most magics, it cannot be truly wielded like a frost or fire spell. The reverberations of linear magics rotate on an axis, while the Light is non-linear, non-tangible or tactile. It soars on an extraterrestrial plane, or rather supracarnal one, where the soul lies, like music." Then Prince Kael'thas rubbed his chin lost in thought. "The Gnomes assert this plane of existence does not exist, but that is in itself the irony… it should not but it does, that is what defines it. The Light is not an existential experience, it is internal, endemic to existence itself, but yet beyond existence. It is a miracle that we are even aware of it, that our priests can use it. But priests tend to be individuals who are sensitive to compassion and other mortal emotions that reach beyond the self, into that realm… so then you did not sacrifice your mana for control over the Light, the way one sacrifices a set amount of mana per every five seconds to master a pure element like fire or shadow over time… You transformed your mana into pure Light." His eyes dazzled with the discovery. "You reached inside of yourself, then beyond yourself to that very realm and claimed that Light as your own, a new kind of Lay on Hands spell, not borne of compassion but a pure feeling of retribution, a holy desire to exact revenge on the perfect enemy of life, one that by your true judgement, the Light must never deny."

Then, Kael'thas reached over and stroked Saturna's hair. The woman looked horrified at his long tangent. "A true Master of the Light indeed. Shall I call you Mistress Saturna then?"

Saturna Whiteblade checked with a fingertip to see if the key to her room was still lodged in her sleeve. She'd achieved the distraction necessary to get it out of Kael'thas pocket, but she never expected it to be an academic one… but then again, Azeroth's first-ever Bloodmage, and a member of the Kirin Tor did seem to be turned on by all that mathematical and philosophic discussion.

"What frightens me more than your droning on like that…" Saturna was herself at last, "Is that I understood everything you just said. I never met anyone who could put it all together for me… you just proved my own theory about the white blade wrong, but I have to agree. What you said makes much more sense than anything I could have ever imagined."

Kael'thas smiled and leaned in to kiss her. Now his gaze was riveting, the cocky self-absorption gone. He was a bookworm just like she was, though a truly awkward one. Saturna realized that he abused the crystals to cover that side of himself. Like a fool, he nearly succeeded. Lucky for him it was wearing off now…

"I've never been wrong before. I was Lady Liadrin's best student." Saturna gasped. Then she turned to him as well, truly feeling it. "That was sexy."

Kael'thas chuckled softly and kissed her.

Time became immaterial then while the two scholars enjoyed talking magic and making magic, but Saturna guessed that hours must have gone by when she felt Kael'thas' hands shaking over hers. He needed another fix now. The Prince asked her, "Are you sure you want to do this here, with your comrades next door and all the soldiers outside? If we go to my apartments…" he laughed, delighted again, "No one will be alerted when they hear you scream." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You might not think so, but all the studying I've done over the years makes me very good at carnal acts because," then he paused, feeling clever, "I know exactly what I'll be doing to your body."

Saturna's knees felt weak. Never before did a man in a mage's robe seem so enticing to her. She pulled back. How many times in the last few hours had she almost crawled directly into his lap, to get as close to him as possible without bedding him indecently in the chair? "I can't… you have arcane crystals in your room."

Prince Kael'thas' confidence wilted. "Is that what this is about?"

Saturna placed a kind hand on his sleeve. "I didn't want us to be locked up in there, while I forced you to… purge the addiction from your system."

Kael'thas sneered at her and got immediately to his feet. "I can leave whenever I want—"

Saturna showed him the key she'd stolen from his pocket.

"Give that back."

Saturna dropped it inside her shirt. "No."

Prince Kael'thas became aware of how desperate he sounded. He tried to laugh it off. "I'm _not_ addicted to arcane crystals. I just do it from time to time… All Blood Elves are addicted to arcane magic anyway. This is silly, Saturna."

Saturna tried not to enjoy his saying her name so much.

"All Blood Elves are addiction to arcane _magic _after the Sunwell was destroyed, not arcane crystals. And what's worse, you are abusing them at an alarming rate if you can't even go this long without another one." She stood as well, and became a stalwart Bloodknight again. "If you can go one entire day without the arcane crystals, if we can get that magic out of your system, then you will no longer be a danger to yourself. Once that is accomplished, I and the others can begin protecting you properly."

"The Sunfury can protect me just fine! I'm starting to regret my decision to admit you here—"

"Are you telling me that you were high when you let us stay?" she calmly observed. Saturna didn't sound angry.

"I'm… never not high." He shrugged.

Saturna couldn't resist laughing. "I suppose my friends and I are lucky then. We wanted to come and help you so badly, I suppose it takes more than a timely mob from the Scyer's Tier to get four poor Bloodknights into the Black Temple unharmed." She kept laughing, "How do you even know for sure that I turned my blade white the other day and killed half a raiding party? Are you even certain that I exist right now? Perhaps I am in your dreams."

"You are making fun of me." Prince Kael'thas heated.

"It is an easy thing to do when you aren't fully aware half of the time." Then, she waved a hand in front of his face.

"I'm not arcane-blind yet!" he grabbed her wrist. Saturna roared with laughter.

"But you have been before. You know what it's like when you nearly overdose. You can't see through the green flow of magic anymore. It thickens your vision far too much, until that is all you can see."

"Why are you enjoying this?" Kael'thas thrust her hand aside, no longer caring to touch her.

When she recovered from laughing so much, Saturna sat back down and leaned an elbow on the table casually. "Because you're cute." Then she flinched. She hadn't meant to say that. "You're funny. I'm not sure if you mean to be, but when you begin to look desperate, and especially put out, you pout… like you are now." She smiled but tried not to laugh this time.

Prince Kael'thas sighed. "Jaina used to say that about me. 'Cute' but not datable… just a friend, and bookworm."

Saturna smiled. "You're a cute bookworm though." Another slip.

"I'm different with the arcane magic in my system…" Kael'thas was so upset to be revealed he missed the compliment. "Well, you'll see whether you want to or not." Then he flashed angry eyes at her. "Why are you doing this to me? It's only going to get embarrassing… do you want to see that side of your prince? In about twenty one hours," he glanced at the ceiling though there was no sun to tell the time by, an old habit. "I am going to revert to a wimpy, annoying bookworm. Is that what you want?"

Saturna was truly delighted to see him so frazzled. It was adorable to see a Bloodmage reduced to nothing in mere moments. "I hardly believe that all these people followed you into Outland, and are still here working beside demons, Naga, and the Sun knows what else merely because you are your father's son. There has to be more to Kael'thas Sunstrider than that."

Kael'thas averted his eyes. "I still miss him."

Saturna straightened and put her hand over his. "I know you do. I do too. Everyone mourns with you, my Prince." She paused. "All of us… are terrified of the future too. And we all doubt ourselves from time to time. But whomever you are, tall or short, handsome or strange," she chanced a smile at him, and Kael'thas tried to return his own, "you have to believe in yourself." Then she stood and went to get an old book crate in the corner of the room. She hefted it up on the table between them and sat back down.

"What's that for?"

Saturna looked worried. "You mean… you don't know what happens next?" She rubbed her hand together nervously. "Oh boy."

"Ugh, I don't feel so good." Prince Kael'thas clutched a hand over his stomach.

Saturna moved the crate onto the floor at his feet.

"Don't worry, this is simple." She informed him as he started to get sick. "You are going to want to turn your insides out. Do it. After that, you are going to try to kill me… a Bloodmage like you will probably try several times, but that's why I brought my Ashbringer." She nodded to where she left it along the wall. "More than likely I can't kill you if you try to hurt me, but a Retribution Bloodknight is made for helping people to regret things. Then, in the morning, you can have something to drink and we'll see if you feel any better."

Prince Kael'thas doubled over and wretched into the old book bin.

"That's it, keep it up. And while you're suffering so much, why don't you tell me where all your arcane crystals are stashed?"

"Why in the Legion would I do that?" he cursed her between bouts of sickness.

Saturna stood and moved her hands elegantly before her abdomen. Gold light grew between her roving palms and then she cast the strong cleansing spell on Kael'thas.

"Because I can make you feel better… if I care to."

Hours passed, and Kael'thas got sick again many times. Eventually, Saturna succeeded at getting the many clever locations of all the arcane crystals out of him. However, he got more and more angry with her as his body continued to break down without them. Saturna began pacing between the table where Kael'thas sat and the other wall where she placed the corrupted Ashbringer.

"This is treason!" Kael'thas flared suddenly. "I can have you thrown into the dungeon, just like my other champions, did you know that?"

Saturna wasn't exactly sure what Kael'thas was talking about as far as his 'other champions' or why he thought she was his, but decided to let that go. Saturna was more focused on the sound of his voice... she didn't like his menacing tone and went for her sword.

"Don't dare touch it!" Kael'thas yelled at her. Saturna turned back to him, slowly. "Put your hands in the air, where I can see them."

He was conjuring a very mean-looking fire spell. The fire licked far down wrists, his red sleeves threatened to catch on fire.

"Kael'thas, no." Saturna said, but was careful to do as she was told. "You want to do this, for yourself, for your people. Don't you want to feel better? You can't keep endangering your life! What if you overdose and no one is there with you…" her voice broke. "You are an amazing man… it would be horrible for you to die alone like that."

"I hate you… for doing this to me." He trembled. His brow began to sweat.

"My job is to protect you, whether you hate me or not, or whether or not you hate the world for what Arthas and the Scourge did to us."

"But you don't truly care about me. The Scryers weren't even so kind—"

"I am not a Scryer." Saturna abruptly corrected him. "I am a Bloodknight."

But Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider didn't back down. Her friends next door were silent. In fact, the room must have been empty. Saturna realized that, knowing Sunthraze, he'd used his quick tongue to convince the others to leave for the night so that they wouldn't have to hear how she was going to betray their prince. Perhaps he and the others were right about forcing an intervention on Kael'thas. Saturna began to fear for her life.


	4. Cause Kael'thas was high, Part II

**My Life for My Prince **

**Chapter Four: Cause Kael'thas was High, Part II**

Kael'thas' green eyes flared and he scowled. The need for the crystals clawed at him in pulses. "Bloodknight." he spat the word back at her. "Just another mage in my way, that's what you are!" He released the fireball directly at the delicate fairy woman in plate.

Saturna did not even move to shield her face. She stood brave against the flames and called a spell instead. Kael'thas screamed with rage and hurled more broiling spells at her but the holy shield of light held. She walked calmly to the fel green corrupted Ashbringer.

"Don't make me use this against you." She warned her prince. Saturna began to make the blade go white.

Kael'thas gnashed his teeth and began wailing in agony. "It hurts so much… please… just make it stop." He wept. "Everything hurts so much… it never stopped hurting. Oh, my people! My father… I never even had a chance to mourn, and it's all my fault."

At that moment, her shield faded. Kael'thas' anger waned too.

"Thank the sun," she said under her breath. There would be even more hours of this. If her shield cooled down at the same time his need for the crystals renewed and his temper flared, then perhaps she would actually make it.

There was an urgent knock on the door. "Is everything alright?" no doubt it was the voice of a Sunfury soldier.

Saturna calmed her voice as much as possible. "You are ruining the moment, go away!" then she pretended to be enjoying herself very much. Whoever it was apologized a great deal and then went away.

Kael'thas was in no state to help her with the farce. Saturna watched the prince slump to the floor with his guilt. He sweated and shivered, but she did not want to comfort him now. If they were really going to do this, he would have to face the pain.

"Kael'thas, tell me how this got started. Tell me why you abuse the arcane crystals. If you admit that this is a problem, then I can help you past it."

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider said nothing for a very long time. But, just when he looked ready to give up, he lay flat with his back and started singing:

"I wasn't there for the Scourge,

Cause I got high…

Oooooh

Could've been there to kick Arthas' ass,

But I was high.

Now Silvermoon City is in ruins and I know whyyy

Yea, yea,

Cause I was high, cause I was high, cause I was hiiiigh" the song started out sad, but then Kael'thas started smiling. He added more verses:

"Ladeedadadadadadaaa

Grand Marshal Garithos sent my army to the front lines,

Cause I got high…

Oooooh

Should've said No to Lady Vashj's help,

But I was high.

Now I'm serving a demon Lord, and I know whyyy

Yea, yea,

Cause I was high, cause I was high, cause I was hiiiigh

Ladeedadadadadadaaa

Now my whole life is screwed up,

cause I got hiiigh.

Half of my army defected to the Sha'tar,

Cause I got hiiigh.

I'm lying on the floor shivering during my own intervention—"

A beautiful feminine voice cut off his, "And I know why… yeah, yeah,

Cause you got high, cause you got high, cause you got hiiiigh." Saturna finished up for him. She sank to the floor, laughing hard.

Prince Kael'thas frowned. "Well, I was going to say 'and I'll never get to sleep with this sexy Bloodknight, and I know why…' but I think you got the gist of it." Then he rolled over and covered his face with his long red sleeve.

Saturna crawled over to her prince lying on the floor and couldn't resist hugging him. "Don't be ashamed. It was a very good song, though I'm afraid you'll never be a bard."

Kael'thas finally started to laugh at himself, with Saturna's tactful encouragement. His joy was electric, overpowering, as if he had some kind of glamour about him. Saturna decided she would try to keep him happy, and maybe that would help with his temper. She wasn't sure she could take another singing session from him though.

"Did your abuse of arcane crystals really drive you to make all those mistakes?" she asked after they both recovered from their laughter.

Kael'thas continued speaking to her from under his red sleeve. "You said you were of noble blood I think. So, you know how many of us used to enjoy arcane crystals from time to time." he sighed. "When my father died," his voice became solemn, "I started to use more than normal… it was a bad habit to begin with, but I made it worse. I think that after a time, I wanted to blame all those difficult decisions on the crystals. The more horrible things got, the more I wanted to use so then I could say to myself 'it was the crystals, not me.' So you see, it was a nasty cycle I got sucked into. But, in the end, I made all those decisions knowing full well that they might lead to greater peril. All of this is my fault."

Saturna reached around and rubbed his back. "Yes it is your fault." Tears were in her eyes, but it was mostly from the laughter. "But at least now you know it isn't some unpredictable magical element that caused you to go wrong. It was you, just you, and you can control yourself from here on out. Don't you think so?"

Kael'thas sighed. "Well…"

"No. There is no well… anything. If you can choose to cover up your face while I'm talking to you, if you can agree to go along with this intervention, then you also have enough self-control to face your other fears and stay strong." She pushed his arms away from his face. Fierce green pupils looked back at her. They weren't glowing like hers yet, because Kael'thas would need to conquer this intense arcane crystal addiction first before feeding his racial one, the constant need for pulses of arcane magic that no Blood Elf could escape. Ironically, he was the very man who discovered a way for them to safely feed that addiction. Well, Saturna and the other Bloodknights knew now that it was more than likely Lord Illidan who came up with the idea… but none of that mattered anymore.

"I feel… so cold." Kael'thas hugged his arms. Saturna went to fetch the blanket from her bed and wrapped it around her prince. Then she lay beside him and embraced him firmly.

"Wouldn't it be nice…" he was shivering so violently, he could barely put one word after the other, "if I could hold you instead." Then he started laughing.

It took Saturna a few moments to decipher what Kael'thas intended to sound like flirting. He really was awkward.

Not able to help herself, she nuzzled against him as would a mother, though Saturna suspected she was a few years younger than the prince. "Shhh… don't worry about that now." She smoothed her delicate fingers over his strong shoulders through the blanket. "You are a man and I am a woman, but there is nothing embarrassing about this. We are friends in this moment. I want you to get well."

Kael'thas' laughter was cut by his jaw trembling. "Just friends… Jaina said the same to me… and after how I messed up tonight, of course you wouldn't—" then he stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Saturna asked, but Kael'thas scrambled to his feet and ran for the old book bin. He nearly missed it.

She calmly walked over and stood behind him. Saturna reached down and swept his long blonde hair from before his face and held it back.

The night went on and on in that fashion, with Kael'thas shivering and mumbling in his sleep and Saturna escorting him to go empty his stomach whenever his body looked for the many arcane crystals it was used to, but could not find them. Because he was very tired, he was more focused on trying to sleep than attacking her with energy sapping fire spells.

Early the next morning, Saturna did not know when, the Prince turned to the woman and wrapped both arms around her waist. He drew Saturna close and began kissing her. Saturna hadn't expected it. Of course she realized that it could just be the pain or the withdrawal from arcane magic motivating him, but Saturna gave into his advances. She liked it far more than she expected to.

Kael'thas leaned over her and began to remove his clothes. That was when Saturna came back to herself.

"My Prince?" she placed a hand on his bare chest. Saturna wished she hadn't. For all the crystals Kael'thas had been abusing, his flesh didn't appear to have suffered any. It felt warm and excellent to her fingertips. She wanted to rove further down and feel more of him…

Kael'thas watched her wanting him. He caressed her cheek, and trailed his fingertips down into her shirt, began to unbutton it. Saturna did not expect him to feel so good against her, to look so perfect even now when so much had gone wrong. He leaned in for another kiss.

Saturna turned away the second time. "If you need this… I can give it to you." The Bloodknight said. "I don't mind... I would happily do whatever it takes to save your life. But if you aren't sure--"

"I'm sure." Kael'thas seized the second kiss from her, took Saturna's breath away. A gasp of pleasure escaped from her lips when he finally moved his mouth from hers.

"Oh, Kael'thas," she moaned. Saturna let him take off more of her clothes.

"I love you. I always have. Please… just let me make love to you." He said.

Saturna helped him with her pants, then with his. "Yes, please…"

"Oh Jaina…"

Saturna sat up instantly. "I think you… need to rest." She snatched her clothes from underneath the blanket and put them back on.

Kael'thas' face was a mask of confusion. Saturna cursed herself for not seeing it before.

The Prince groaned. It was such a singular masculine roar of sexual frustration, the kind that makes a woman forget all about courtesy and social constraints. The kind that makes your mind go blank with need and lay prostrate, like the lioness before her heated mate.

Saturna forced her naked back up against cold stone wall. She balled her hands while she watched the gorgeous Kael'thas writhe under the blankets and slam his fist into the floor. When he was done swearing, he eventually calmed down and went back to sleep.

Saturna finished putting her shirt back on then slid down the length of the wall to sit on the floor.

She shook her head at the handsome naked man in her room, disbelieving. He was a Bloodmage, a bookworm, an addict, a terrible singer with a bad sense of humor… an adorable mess of a man. Her heart raced just thinking about everything that he was. And then that body… Saturna shut her eyes against the urge to rush back under the covers and let him use her, no matter whom Kael'thas thought he was sleeping with.

"Oh shit." She cursed softly to herself. This wasn't just reverence she was feeling… Saturna opened her eyes wide in the darkness. "The guys were right. I _am_ in way over my head."

Author's Note:

()Cause Kael'thas was high, cause Kael'thas was high, cause Kael'thas was hiiiiiigh! Thanks to Afroman for a great song that inspired my spoof.


	5. The real Prince Kael'thas

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Four: The real Prince Kael'thas  
**

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider walked calmly to the center of the lesser shrine. He stood directly at the heart of the precious gold mosaic and closed his eyes. Mana rushed about him, disturbing the embroidered edges of his black robes. Before the Black Temple was Lord Illidan's home, or the seat of Burning Legion power for the Eredar Kil'Jaeden, a staging ground for the notorious Orc warlock Ner'zhul, it was the Temple of Kalabor to the Draenei. The Draenei revered it as a sacred spot and performed many rituals of the Light within the glorious place. It appeared that the intricate tiled artwork now beneath Kael'thas' feet was some tribute to the power of the Light. Black soot stained the edges, but Prince Kael'thas asked his servants to at least wipe the center of the gigantic gold masterpiece free from the stain of death, war, and decay. Now the Blood Elf prince was leaving his mark in the ruined Temple of Kalabor. Kael'thas knew that powerful ley lines joined in this spot and he intended to use it for the most important work of his life. He could feel the flow of magical energy ripping up through him, it was exhilarating. But Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider wasn't standing in the spot just to feel good, not today. Not ever again.

"Belore." He said with reverence, and slowly raised his arms.

Conjuring the amazing fire spell was at first a slow burn. He expected this, and inhaled slowly against the pain in his straining arms. The golden tile beneath him shimmered, and after a few moments the air looked hazy. Kael'thas knew the ground was now too hot to touch. Then the air around him sparked and finally caught fire. It erupted in bursts at intervals beneath his feet. Kael'thas' shoulders ached, his back felt sore. He'd been away from this too long. Still, he grimaced through the pain, and looked up from the blazing fire at his feet. The rush of hot air about him forced tears from the corners of his eyes. He shuddered, but kept going. This was the hardest part, he knew. This was where many mages failed, but he'd succeeded long ago, and became Azeroth's first Bloodmage, the perfect union between a warlock and a mage. Kael'thas gritted his teeth and dared to look at what he called into being between his palms. The raging fire overhead blazed out of control, and he opened his mouth to inhale stifling hot air while he forced his mind to concentrate. A lone talon with four sharp white hot claws of flame formed out of the red abyss. Kael'thas' heart leapt to see it again. That brief moment of distraction was all it took. Instantly, the phoenix faded and his dreams dashed, for the thirty-fifth morning in a row.

"Dammit!" he swore loudly and began to pace. Nearly all his mana was gone, and he knew from experience that shouldn't do this again today. Perhaps in Dalaran he could try as many times as he wanted, but not in the Black Temple when invasion was imminent.

Kael'thas put hands on his hips and grimaced at the golden mosaic below him. He shook his head with disappointment. Long bright locks of hair, the color of dandelions slipped from behind his ears and obscured his vision. He swept a hand around and forced it back into place.

"My Prince, the paladins are here to see you." A simple woman dressed in red robes that complimented his own royal regalia opened the door and bowed. Kael'thas turned to see a flash of Saturna's pale face as she peered in from beyond. He wasn't ready for his heart to leap immediately into his throat. Kael'thas closed his eyes against the weak-in-the-knees feeling he started to get. Almost two months had passed since Prince Kael'thas' enforced intervention, and he'd succeeded at avoiding Saturna until now.

"Close the door, not yet." He waved his hand in black glove at the servant and she immediately left. The door silenced objections coming from the other side.

Kael'thas went to stand in the center of the mosaic again. He felt the ley lines agitate his powerful store of mana. The edges of his black mourning robe swished. His fingertips twitched, eager to cast another spell.

The prince opened his eyes. "Today… I owe it to myself to try again."

He confidently raised both hands above his head. "Belore!" he shouted.

Fire lashed up angry at his sides. The heat seared the air, but Kael'thas fearlessly breathed it in. He let the burning essence fill him up, become a part of him. He reached deep inside his mana pool, with all of his rage, with everything he had. A cone of flame burst open underneath him and rippled out along the floor. The tiles glowed and hummed. The crackling sound of combustion seared the tips of his long ears. Then the avian shriek of the terrible conjured monster filled the room and reverberated off the tainted shrine walls.

There was fighting and shouting on the other side of the door, and it forced open at the final moment. Pyorin the Tank, then Saturna, Sunthraze, and finally Fennore rushed into the room with weapons ready to fight whatever made the loud noise. Frustrated Sunfury guards followed, raising phoenix shields.

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider met their looks of awe with intense fel green eyes. A violent broiling phoenix smoked and screeched just above his head. The power of the ley lines and his conjuring caused a powerful force to blow his hair back. The black sleeves of his robes were forced down against his shoulders, revealing lean muscled arms that glistened golden in the firelight. One could see how each finger controlled a vein of the fire power, and the tiny threads of flame writhed and intensified like ten furious storms. The living blaze powered the screaming creature. The phoenix threw its long neck back and bellowed. Its belly and wings expanded until they filled the entire room. Huge claws stretched out and sharp talons of pure fire slashed the air. The Sunhawks fell to their knees. The Bloodknights knelt reverently one by one.

Kael'thas stretched the corner of his mouth into a wry smile. He leapt up and spread his arms out to release the phoenix. It twisted and dragged its enormous wings through the hazy air and circled the dome of the shrine until departing through a ruined skylight at the top. Its piercing cries could be heard all over the Black Temple as it soared overhead. It would remain for many hours, or until its master, the Bloodmage Prince Kael'thas called it back home.

Saturna wiped a tear from her eye.

"Close the doors." Prince Kael'thas ordered the Sunfury guard. A few more had rushed inside the room to see the spectacle. Each stood again and bowed before slowly departing.

"Bloodknights, you may stand." He ordered them. His voice was strong and confident. Saturna was wary of it at first, but it didn't seem like the false Kael'thas who had been abusing arcane crystals. It wasn't the love-crazed man who used the magic to lose himself in the worst possible way. A whole month and a half had passed with him slowly gaining strength each day. Saturna removed the arcane crystals from his apartments, and offered a shoulder for him to lean on many times, but Kael'thas always rejected it, even when he seemed to be suffering the worst from withdrawal. Maybe it would take much longer than a month for him to be fully recovered, but he sounded healthy and lucid, like a prince again. Clearly Kael'thas wanted to make the journey on his own, for himself.

"You witnessed something exceptional today." Kael'thas smiled. His joy felt as amazing as the phoenix, like the sun itself rising. The Bloodknights smiled too. "Today I have shattered the bonds of what someone once referred to as a 'pathetic, self-loathing stupor.'" He shook his head, disbelieving that the words had ever left his own champion's mouth. "I am a new man today, better than the man I once was."

"Congratulations," Saturna said.

Kael'thas struggled to ignore her intimate tone. Hearing Saturna speak made Kael'thas falter. "Today is also the last day that I will mourn my father." Kael'thas stopped smiling. He looked down at his black robes. Every day that he was in recovery, he'd worn nothing but black. Perhaps all of the Black Temple didn't know he was also recovering from his addiction, but Kael'thas had not wanted it that way. Let them think he was finally mourning his father. It was true anyway, it wasn't really a way to cover up the recovery. His father's memory was Kael'thas' to fight, until he was ready to start over again. Today Kael'thas summoned the phoenix after a very long period of lethargy and self-destruction. This was the most important day of his life.

There was a paneled dressing screen set up at the far end of the shrine. Every morning that Kael'thas came to try and summon his phoenix, he ordered new red regalia laid out, in case that day was the one. Now, he walked over, but before he got there, pulled the black robe up over his head. He wasn't wearing a shirt.

A little suffering gasp escaped Saturna's throat. Sunthraze caught it instantly and decided this was a perfect time to ask their monarch a question.

"It truly was an amazing thing you did, my Prince. Would you be so kind as to explain how a phoenix is conjured?"

Kael'thas sensed it was an odd time for such a complex question but he, like most academics, relished a chance to talk about their boring and often isolating studies.

"Well, you see, fire is a linear magic so it revolves around a pure axis. One must reach through the planes to…"

Nearly all the Bloodknights pretty much stopped listening after that point.

"What do you think you're doing!" Saturna admonished Sunthraze with a harsh whisper.

Sunthraze the Sly smiled. "I'm helping you, mighty Commander. You're getting a good look, aren't you? You've only been complaining about not being able to see it for two whole months."

Fennore looked annoyed to have Kael'thas' engaging explanation of the properties of linear fire magics interrupted. He shushed them.

Pyorin waited a while before adding. "Don't be so hard on her Sunthraze."

"Yes, Sunthraze, it was only five weeks! That's thirty five days since I was last alone with him." Saturna defended herself. All three male Bloodknights gave her a look and she realized how desperate that sounded.

"Mistress Whiteblade, have you got something to say?" Kael'thas interrupted his own magic lesson then to chastise her.

Sunthraze snickered and jabbed her with an elbow. Kael'thas looked at the two of them, seemingly unashamed of how he was naked down to his waistband. A gold strand of hair slipped from behind his ear.

Saturna winced. "I… umm… the Phoenix was… did you know that you're sweating a lot? It's really… a lot of, glistening…" Saturna turned red. She could not recover from that.

"That was a fascinating lesson, Prince Kael'thas." Fennore politely changed the subject. "I have been a student of the Light for years, and it was only when I became a Bloodknight that I was asked to think of the Light itself as a magic, not some divine entity… now I feel curious about all kinds of magics. Fire is one less element I have to worry about."

Pyorin and Sunthraze looked relieved. They'd tuned out of an incredibly lengthy magic lesson if Kael'thas managed to cover every aspect of fire spells.

"I would be happy to teach you even more, Bloodknight Fennore… that is, when we're not fortifying our defenses against a Sha'tar attack." He walked behind the changing screen.

"I think Saturna would like you to teach her more magic too." Sunthraze piped up. While her prince couldn't see, Saturna turned around and decked the other retribution paladin.

"Ow!"

When Kael'thas returned, he was again in his traditional red robes. He stood before them and was about to speak, but then held up a finger like he'd forgotten something. Kael'thas closed his eyes momentarily and three glowing green orbs appeared around him. Two whirled into existence over his shoulders, and the last materialized above his head.

"It is a disgrace to my family line to wear these garments without the royal mark." He smiled. "Now, as for my reason for summoning you." He let his hands disappear into the thick folds of red and black fabric that fell in waves under tiered red shoulder-guards. "First, I would like to thank all of you for traveling so far from Silvermoon City to offer your services. Your fealty is greatly appreciated. I am beginning to wonder what I would have ever done over the last two months without your unyielding example of loyalty. Many of the factions underneath the roof of this temple were confused or disturbed to see me mourning my father. The four of you never doubted my motivations for briefly returning to the past, and that reassured many of the Sunfury, as well as the Naga. Lord Illidan's demons and fel Orcs seemed to follow the lead of the others, which is as far as they've ever gone to show reverence for the Thalassian throne. It was about time."

Saturna waited hopefully for Kael'thas to recognize her, but he didn't. She was starting to feel like he neglected her role in this on purpose.

"It was an honor." Saturna lead her men in accepting the kind words. Her salute came off a little rude.

Kael'thas flinched at Saturna's response. His strong voice started to fail him. "There is another matter as well, and it involves all the factions I mentioned. I was… not exactly myself when I asked you all to stay here. You have certainly proved invaluable to me, and now I wouldn't have you away from my side for the world. But you see, among Illidan's other forces are people who don't value the presence of four powerful Blood Elves, especially not paladins. We don't have any of our own—"

"Bloodknights. That is what we are. We are _not_ paladins, who merely serve the Light." Saturna asserted.

Kael'thas paused awkwardly. "Bloodknights. Excuse me, Mistress Whiteblade." Why did he sound afraid of her?

Saturna fumed that now he wasn't even calling her by her first name.

"If you want to stay here, I think you should prove to the Naga, the Sunfury, and the demons that you belong. That you proved yourself to me already isn't going to be enough for the others."

Pyorin gently asked, "My liege, I only ask this for matters of security… are you saying that certain factions here don't… hold you in the highest regard that you deserve?"

Kael'thas looked away, briefly. His green eyes came back blazing. "They are servants of Illidan, not me. I value my alliance with Lord Illidan. I have gone out of my way to prove my loyalty and since he is convinced, no one would dare speak against me outright. However, I believe that it simply takes hearts longer to be turned than minds."

"Too bad for you, Saturna." Sunthraze mumbled to his commanding officer, who stood at his right. Her eyes flashed angry.

"To make it a bit easier for you, I think that I have some tasks that, if you take them on, will win the Naga and the demons to your side and mine.

"This sounds like a quest." Saturna almost frowned.

Kael'thas indulged her. "In a way, that is it exactly. But if you put it those terms, I am about to give you three quests. First, I need you to go to the Naga… this is a little embarrassing but I'm sure that I can trust you three with a little personal business… Oh, and I don't want Mistress Whiteblade to help you, for the time being." Kael'thas squirmed a little when he said Saturna's name.

Saturna resisted every urge to toss her head back in annoyance. Now Kael'thas was finally showing favor for her…. but he was sending such strange signals, after the past two months of silence. It also worried Saturna that Kael'thas was giving her men work beneath, arguably, the most powerful Bloodknights in existence.

"The Naga are the ones supplying me with arcane crystals… that is, they _were_ the ones getting my crystals through fence and other shady means. I've already spoken to some people, and the deliveries have stopped. However, that means there is an enormous cache of crystals in the Naga camp. I need you to get all of them and get rid of them… I can't afford to relapse. If you can manage to convince them, they will respect you. Obviously… you can't tell them that my health is the reason why you need the crystals. It would not be wise or safe for everyone to know just how addicted I was."

The male paladins saluted, while Saturna sulked.

"Second, the Sunfury were impressed with your display on the battlefield when the friends of the Scryers attacked about two months ago. However, their morale about things in general is still low. I conjured the phoenix today for myself, and maybe my soldiers will see it and feel heartened. I know it is not enough for them though. Please go to them and cheer them up somehow. It may not seem like much, but it will do worlds of good, and they will fight even harder."

The Bloodknights nodded.

"The last thing I need is the most difficult." Kael'thas' eyes wandered. "Lord Illidan's demon forces think differently than mortal races… it's hard to explain if you aren't a warlock like myself. Then again, I am a warlock and I still haven't found a way to win them over. Their respect for me is helpful for now, but that it is tentative makes it most dangerous. I need their allegiance. Lord Illidan owns them… in a way that's hard to describe, but I need them to act and think like my allies too, the way Lord Illidan does." Kael'thas smiled. "I know what you're thinking. It is absolutely unfair of me to ask this of four pala… err, Bloodknights, since so much of your training has been for ruining demons and the Undead. But I want you to try."

"We will succeed." Saturna announced. Kael'thas was startled by her voice and hopped back a step.

He cleared his throat and attempted to recover. "Well that is very good news then, Mistress Whiteblade. I'm eager to hear how all of this is settled tomorrow evening."

Saturna spun around. "Tomorrow evening! That is how long you are giving them?"

Kael'thas looked at her critically. "I thought you had more faith in your men than to plead with me for a later deadline. I assume that the most powerful Bloodknights Silvermoon has to offer me can get simple things done efficiently. I'm not vacationing at the Black Temple you know. Invasion is imminent, and I want to help Lord Illidan out of this mess and get back to my important work in Tempest Keep as soon as possible."

"This is personal." Saturna accused him.

Prince Kael'thas shook his head and sighed. "No, I don't take anything personally anymore. I am the Prince of Quel'thalas… everyone thinks of me that way. I'm not just a man. But if you prefer a personal mission, I do have a quest for you alone, Saturna Whiteblade." he blushed.

Saturna looked at her fellow Bloodknights warily then met the prince's eyes.

Kael'thas hesitated for a long time, then stammered, "I… um… can't discuss it here, but if you meet me this evening, in my apartments…"

Saturna half wanted to shout 'No' in Kael'thas' arrogant face. He was acting so strangely. And if he thought that after this silent treatment he was going to get anything from her, he was sadly mistaken. Another nudge in her side brought Saturna out of her vengeful thoughts. It was Pyorin. "You should go, my Commander." He whispered. "You deserve a private audience with the Prince after all you did, and then his avoiding you for two whole months. Whatever the matter is, you should go and find out, in person."

Saturna melted. How she adored Pyorin and his way of putting things so nicely.

"Yes, I would very much like to speak with you, my Prince." Saturna did a graceful curtsey, and forced the guile out of her voice.

_That evening in Prince Kael'thas apartments…_

Prince Kael'thas paced back and forth on the red carpet, mumbling to himself.

"Saturna… I want to apologize for the way I acted… No! That's not right." He picked up a book on a nearby table to keep his nervous hands busy and tried again, "Mistress Whiteblade, I want to thank you for all your help, but the truth is, I can't…No."

Kael'thas looked in the mirror, and took a deep breath. "Commander Whiteblade. I am impressed with your services so far, but I can't in good conscience go on with my deviant behavior. You see, I wasn't myself, and it would be wrong to continue pretending…" Kael'thas' palms felt sweaty, and he was only just thinking about talking to Saturna.

"Oh boy." He started to worry. His breath came rapidly, and Kael'thas had to sit down. "Saturna, the last woman… err… women I dated ended up in the dungeon because Lord Illidan grew angry with them, and my hand was forced. I don't want that to happen to you. Besides, women are another little problem that I have, almost as bad as the arcane crystals. We have _got_ to stay away from each other, and that's that."

The Blood Elf Prince folded his hands up into his long red sleeves to keep them from shaking.

"Okay…" he comforted himself. "I think that's my best attempt so far. She'll understand. If I was in my right mind at the time, I would have never flirted with her… I can't believe I practically threw myself at her like that. Just how high was I back then?" Kael'thas tried to remember, but of course he couldn't. That's one of the biggest drawbacks of being a junkie, forgetting things.

"Though… I think I'll leave the part about having an orgy with my last three security officers out." Then, Kael'thas thought about Lianna, Thera, and Jacinta again. He felt another panic attack coming on and these women weren't even in the room. Kael'thas tried to get used to the feeling… he didn't have arcane crystals to numb his fears, to alter his personality so that he was suave.

"Be strong Kael, be strong…" the prince leaned on a nearby table for support. "I'll just do what I did last time, and ask her to be my champion after letting her down easy. Then, she'll be sworn to silence and I can finally put this entire mess behind me. No more women, and no more arcane crystals."

There was a sharp knock on the door. "Mistress Saturna Whiteblade is here to see you, your Majesty." A guard announced.

Kael'thas looked at the opening door and squeezed his eyes shut. _You can do this. If you can summon a phoenix, then you can talk to a woman._

That was when he saw what Saturna was wearing. Poor Kael'thas, he didn't have a chance…


	6. In way over her head

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Five: In way over her head...**

Much earlier that same evening, Saturna rushed into the guys' room, with a wild look in her eyes.

"I just realized what Kael'thas wants to speak with me about! I could become the next Queen of Quel'thalas."

Sunthraze started to snicker. Pyorin looked alarmed, and Fennore immediately began shaking his head.

"Saturna, I think you are getting a bit too carried away with this." The ex-priest sighed.

Saturna paced nervously up and down the length of the room, which made her officers wary of yet another scheme coming on. Fennore had a cot to himself along the right wall, and Sunthraze and Pyorin shared a bunk bed on the left wall. Sunthraze peered at Saturna from above, feigning a dreamy schoolgirl look.

"Oh! You're so lucky! And isn't Kael'thas the bestest, with his shirt off and all?" he lay on his stomach and began kicking his legs in the air. The bachelor pad was instantly transformed into a slumber party. Saturna scowled at him. Sunthraze scowled right back. "That's how you sound you know. Saturna, don't become one of his pets… it was funny this morning, but not now."

"Stop teasing her, Sunthraze. I think she really means it." Pyorin set down the deck of cards he was idly shuffling and stood. He put his strong hands on both Saturna's shoulders to calm her down.

"Commander, this isn't a good idea. You need to let it go."

Saturna raised a feathery pale blonde eyebrow. "It's not like I'm trying to become the next queen. I'm just saying that… if he really likes me, and we have a great date tonight, and then maybe if we fall in love… one day, maybe… it could happen. Are you saying that it's impossible? I told you all about our night together two months ago… I think Kael'thas and I bonded. I mean, it's not like I'm one of _those_ obsessed women, but I have a date with the Prince of Quel'thalas! Isn't it exciting?" Saturna was really starting to get giddy. She covered her mouth with her hands and started to giggle like a fangirl. And the handsome, talented Prince Kael'thas did have obsessive fangirls back in Silvermoon. That was mostly why he went to Dalaran to study, so he could be free of them.

Fennore looked bored. "Was that before or after the prince started singing like a madman? And he's probably very embarrassed about it. Kael'thas has not spoken to you since that intervention, except in passing… I think he is trying to forget that night."

"But he's grateful to me. We have a connection—"

"You do not." Sunthraze flared. He sounded jealous. "You seduced him into having an intervention, and he reacted to you like a man with eyes. And don't we have something more important to discuss here? Like, how when we tried to speak with the Naga and the demons earlier today they shunned us? And, it took so long finding everything, that we missed our opportunity to speak with the Sunfury. It's too late to do it now."

Saturna stopped fawning over the handsome Blood Elf prince and became their stalwart commander again. "What do you mean, they 'shunned' you? You all are Bloodknights, and honored by the Prince himself!"

Pyorin sat back down on the bed, and took up his cards again. "That is exactly what we told them, and it made no difference. Each group has a wing of this temple… like separate cities with guards and all that. We could not even get past the front gates, so to speak."

Saturna began pacing again and tapped a pensive finger against her lips. "Failure is not an option for you, gentlemen. I have a feeling that Prince Kael'thas is testing you all… why else would he ask you to attempt it? It can't be impossible?"

Fennore leaned back in his cot and it creaked. "It is like Shattrath City all over again… there are factions and sides to pick. I am getting very bored with this whole reputation thing. It takes far too long, and once you're done with proving yourself, what do you do? You have a fight with the matron of the whorehouse and suddenly you're banished."

The other Bloodknights got quiet. Pyorin squinted an eye and chanced the recovery from that awkward silence. "Fennore… the three of us got banished after we got into a fight with the Scryers who began maligning Prince Kael'thas… weren't you there too?"

Fennore went red. "I… when I met you guys outside of the city, I just went along with what you said about having to leave."

Sunthraze looked disgusted. "Fennore you are a one sick sonofabitch. What in blazes did you do to those poor Lower City prostitutes, the lowest of the low, to get—"

"Enough!" Saturna raised her hands for silence. She cringed, and then put the conversation back on track. "Gentlemen, despite what other things Fennore alluded to, his faction idea has merit. Perhaps the Black Temple is not exactly like Shatthrath City, but there are clearly separate cultures within these walls. You three are going to have to find a way to fit in and fast before tomorrow evening."

Pyorin straightened and rolled his large bare shoulders underneath a white undershirt. "All due respect, Commander, but I never signed up to make friends with demons and Naga when I accepted this mission from Lady Liadrin." He crooked a finger and flattened his thumb against the top card of the deck he was holding. The cards made a loud slapping noise while he shuffled them deftly without even having to look. It reminded Saturna of the shady card shark Goblins of the Steamwheedle Cartel. A chill ran through her. Pyorin mentioned actually having been to the nefarious casinos in Undermine once or twice.

Pyorin raised his thick dark eyebrows. "Prince Kael'thas might just have to be disappointed."

Saturna placed both hands on her hips. "I warned you all that one day, I was going to ask you to help me with something, and that 'No' would not be an option." Even Sunthraze sat up when Saturna used her icy commander's tone. It was hardly more than a whisper, and one had to pay attention and strain to hear whether she was threatening you or not, which of course, was the point.

"I am here to make sure that we four give Prince Kael'thas what he needs. Keeping him safe is our new mission, in case your ears were full of fluff a few months back. Now, if he wants you to get arcane crystals away from the Naga, and impress the demons, you are going to damn well do it, and do it damn well! Do you understand me?" she hissed.

"But this is madness!" Sunthraze complained. "Are we doing this because of our oath as Bloodknights, or because you are trying to impress Kael'thas for your own reasons?"

"What? I have no such motivations..." Saturna blushed. "Am I mad, Sunthraze the Sly? Or, am I living up to Lady Liadrin's expectations of me, as the most capable Bloodknight in existence. I believe she said much the same to you all as well. We four are incredibly powerful, perhaps the very best. It is also our duty to make everyone here believe that she is right about us, to keep our hard-earned names in tact."

Fennore playfully raised a hand. "I… still don't have a nickname, by the way." He smiled.

Saturna ignored his comment. "Now, it's getting late and I need to get dressed for my meeting."

"Dressed!" Pyorin paused mid-shuffle. Even halves of the deck lay face up in each hand. Saturna was impressed to see that he'd maneuvered two Aces onto the top of each stack of cards. "Saturna… I don't think it's going to be what you think."

Fennore sat up in his cot. "And what would you be getting dressed in, hmm? All that I have… all that I thought any of us had is our plate armor."

Sunthraze smiled. "Oh, she has this sexy little red number…"

"No I don't, or else that would mean you've gone through my things." Saturna snapped at the smart-mouthed redhead.

All the guys started laughing and whistling at Saturna. Pyorin finally put down his cards.

"Can we see it?" Fennore asked eagerly.

Saturna blushed. "Well… I guess I could try it out on you all first… if it's too much I'll need to know."

Then Saturna left to get dressed.

"What's it look like, Sunthraze?" Fennore eagerly asked once she'd gone.

Sunthraze grinned even brighter. "Oh man! It's got these two pieces, and it's completely open down the middle…"

But his description could hardly compare to the real thing. When Saturna returned, the three men had no jokes left to make. She was transformed.

Saturna turned circles in the revealing gown.

"Too much?" she asked innocently. Even Pyorin, who insisted on them being respectful of their Commander in the romantic sense, started to stare. "Alright, so I'll admit that I had every intention of seducing the Prince when we finally found him. Lady Liadrin did have a little conversation with me about it, but it was embarrassing, so I never told you guys much. Let's just say that, when I packed my corrupted Ashbringer for the journey, I also put my other weapon in the bag." Saturna giggled. "I think this is what they call a man-killer outfit. Is it okay?"

The four dazed men could only nod. They weren't really listening.

Saturna smiled. "Well, here I go. Wish me luck… and between you and me, it's been sooo long… I hope things go well tonight, even if I don't get to be queen." Then she came over and gave Pyorin a little nudge. "You know what I'm saying?"

Pyorin cleared his throat, and smoothed his long black hair back. "Sure… yes Commander."

When the woman left, the other Blood Elves shared bewildered looks.

"That's… not the same woman who just threatened all of us, was it?" Fennore sank into his cot.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight." Pyorin's eyes widened, and he accidentally knocked the deck of cards off the bed with an elbow. They scattered all over the floor.

Sunthraze scratched his head. "Pyorin… are we still disrespecting a superior officer if we—"

"No, you can't do it."

"But even if she wants to—"

"No."

Sunthraze flared, "But she just said 'it's been a while!' A while! One of us could have helped her with that… hell, all of us could have enjoyed ourselves with Saturna if we made some kind of arrangement back in Hellfire Peninsula instead of letting you bully us out of it."

Pyorin grunted when he bent down to pick up all his cards. "Sunthraze, how about this? I'll play you for it. If you win, then you can do whatever you want with Saturna, and I'll stop making a big deal out of it. If I win, then you stop scheming to sleep with her every other day."

Fennore perked up. "Can I get in on this? I don't want to live in fear that you are going to deck me every time I give Saturna half a look."

Pyorin glared at Fennore, but then he shrugged. "Fine. If you guys win, I'll leave you alone, and you can do whatever you want."

They sat on the floor, and Pyorin the Tank began to deal. They weren't impressed with his idle card tricks. Sunthraze and Fennore had seen them before. But when they got their cards…

Fennore grimaced. "Why do I feel like I just walked right into a trap?"

Sunthraze had a much better poker face, but he seemed a little upset.

Dark-haired Pyorin grinned wickedly. "Because you just did. Now, are you gonna play, or are you gonna chicken out like wussies?"

What choice did they have? Sunthraze and Fennore played, alright. They even convinced Pyorin to let Fennore deal, and in a third game, Sunthraze dealt the cards. Each time they lost horribly.

Sunthraze sucked his teeth at the end and sneered at their tank. "Hey, Pyorin."

"Yes, Sunthraze?"

"You suck." Sunthraze scowled, and threw his cards at him.

"Pleasure doing business with ya." And Pyorin laughed, then saluted. "You know, all I do is for the good of Quel'thalas and her military might. Who are we without our country's laws, and customs? The result is anarchy. We have to stay on the straight and narrow, gentlemen."

Fennore crawled back into bed and buried his face in his pillow. "Well, isn't Saturna about to break a law? There must be something that says she can't… have sex with the… heir to the Thalassian throne?"

Pyorin shrugged again. "Saturna Mageblade," he emphasized the woman's true last name, "is of noble blood. She'd be in the long line of suitors to become Prince Kael'thas' wife anyway. No harm done there."

"I disagree, Pyorin." Sunthraze donned his cocky tone again. "You saw that dress just like I did. Silvermoon has very strict laws against regicide, though it's not fair that he's going to die so…" Pyorin bristled. "…very happy."

"Think I could gamble with Kael'thas and get him to change the rules?" Pyorin joked, but there was a similar hint of jealousy in the tank's voice too.

Word spreads fast in the Black Temple.

This morning the place was sparking with the news of Kael'thas conjuring a phoenix. And then, he had emerged wearing the elaborate Thalassian royal regalia again… obviously, his eerie journey back into the past was ended. Demons, Blood Elves, fel Orcs and Naga alike gossiped eagerly about what this could mean. In the worst case, there were whispers that the Blood Elf prince was readying to return to Silvermoon City and that his phoenix conjuring was some kind subtle threat to Lord Illidan, the way a Ravager snarls and bears its teeth before resorting to attack.

The rumors were worse than when the Bloodknights first arrived at the temple. At that time some people thought the strange guests were assassins. If that were the case, shouldn't Lord Illidan intervene on Kael'thas' behalf, before the new Blood Elves exposed his greatest weakness for his people and he got hurt? But, as usual, Illidan had said nothing, done nothing. That didn't mean that The Betrayer did not care. It meant that he didn't see the mere Bloodknights as a threat, not yet anyways. His silence meant Kael'thas was allowed to take them on, and the Prince had been working with Lord Illidan too long to assume anything different.

But tonight, the talking rose to fever pitch when Saturna began to walk the long hallways of the Black Temple in her exquisite white dress. An even deadlier rumor began to go around: Kael'thas was ready to name another champion. The last three aggravated the already hostile situation with the Sha'tar, and these women now rotted away in the dungeon the demons forged far beneath the Black Temple. And what would the fate of this new woman be?

Many men stopped what they were doing to watch Saturna walk in her white dress. It was obvious where she was going. There should have only been Sunfury soldiers in this wing of the temple, but Demons and Fel Orcs had come to see as well. A few grinning Naga slithered alongside her in the shadows. A group of Blood Elf women stopped Saturna and complimented the dress. But when they left, their gaze lowered and spiteful words were exchanged. The words _mistress _and _harlot_ burned Saturna's ears, but she kept walking.

Saturna forged a holy shield in her mind. She let herself be conscious of the small growing audience. Saturna told herself that these were but soldiers, people of a rank far beneath her. They couldn't really hurt her. The only person who could condemn her actions was Prince Kael'thas and they had a connection, a bond… he would not hurt her. He'd asked her on this date afterall.

However, there was one man looking at her naked body through the revealing dress that Saturna could not possibly be aware of. This one's opinion was all that ever mattered in Shadowmoon Valley. He made his living hiding and striking only when the moment was exactly right. In the darkness of a balcony shadowed stories above her, The Betrayer watched Saturna's hips sway, saw her chin thrust proudly forward. The flush curve of the bosom was elven, and it spoke to something deep inside Lord Illidan that was still elven. Taloned fingertips curled underneath the sooty stone railing, one by one, and Lord Illidan leaned further out of the darkness to see more of her.

"Beautiful." He grinned. Long demonic canines broke the smile of a once Night Elf man, still painfully handsome despite the fel blood racing through his veins.

In the next moment, Lord Illidan turned to his Naga companions, and in a flurry of massive tattered demon wings, he snarled. "Why wasn't she executed?"

Wave Commander Scy'thlerin smiled for a long time before glancing at Lady Vashj, queen of the Naga. As always, her male cohorts flanked either side of her and held spears. Lady Vashj inspected her dagger-like nails vainly before giving Scy'thlerin her permission to speak.

"She hasss charmed him, Great One." He snapped his reptilian jaws shut and made a clacking noise, like an angry crocolisk. "I have been watching Kael'thas carefully, as Lady Vashj ordered me to. He did everything in his power to bed her from the firssst moment she arrived."

Illidan turned back to the balcony rail. Scy'thlerin wanted to look too, but the demon lord's large curved horns were in the way. Nor was Scy'thlerin foolish enough to make his queen feel slighted. Lady Vashj hated to be anything less than the most beautiful woman in the room.

"Not that woman. I mean the other one… no, you said there were three champions before this one, weren't there? I recall that you told me Kael'thas was with three women, and then within a few weeks of naming them champions, he sent them to the dungeon… why did Kael'thas fail to execute them for going against his wishes?" Illidan idly scratched his chin with his claw tips. "Though, I do admit Kael'thas' latest bauble is very pretty." He paused for a moment, relishing the vision of Saturna walking far beneath them until she finally came to the end of the torchlit hallway and rounded a corner. Prince Kael'thas' apartments were beyond. "Royalty," Illidan sneered. But he was perhaps thinking of another prince whom he loathed. "Do they always have women like that, walking to their doorstep as obediently as if in chains… wearing hardly nothing more than a smile, and only the desire to be pleasured in their heads? And then, to lay down at his feet like that. Furthermore, what is it about elven women, that they become so ripe and supple in the hands of a man with power?"

Scy'thlerin opened his mouth to speak.

"And not just any power." Illidan was caught up in his monologue. He swayed on clefted hooves. "It has to be the right kind, the _good_ kind." Illidan seemed to mock someone who was not there with him, but always managed to be there in his mind, in the way that family could never be fully excised from one's sense of self. "Kael'thas summons a phoenix and he gets a woman. I nearly save Azeroth from ruin many times, then claim the Black Temple for my own, and no one comes to lay down before me."

"Oh but Great One, you have demonesses enough in your chambers—"

"I am not a demon!" Illidan roared. Lady Vashj stopped preening in her enchanted gold mirror. She flashed an angry look at Scy'thlerin.

"Do not interrupt our Lord and ssssavior, Wave Commander. It is rude." Then, she tactfully apologized to Lord Illidan. Scy'thlerin had done nothing wrong, but Lady Vashj was clever. She knew that it didn't matter. Submissiveness is what the demon in denial needed to see now, it was the way he thought. Lady Vashj was happy to cater to Illidan's madness.

Wave Commander Scy'thlerin bowed his head.

"I am Illidan Stormrage, whom they call The Betrayer… but I am not a demon. I am a man who made a decision a long time ago… I traded futility for immense power. Do you dare doubt me? I am not like you, or anyone else. And I am far better than those pathetic underlings who serve me."

"My apologiesss, Lord Illidan." Scy'thlerin bowed again. Lady Vashj whispered to one of her male attendants, attempting to detach herself from the awkward moment.

"My Lord, I meant only to emphasize your greatnesssss. Prince Kael'thas is conscious of his shortcomingsss, overwhelmingly so." Scy'thlerin hissed. "I believe he had the woman parade herself through the temple in that outfit to make others afraid of his prowessss."

Lady Vashj re-entered the conversation, now that it was safe. "My Lord, do you believe what they are saying about Kael'thas? That he plans to escape back to Azeroth and become king of the Blood Elves?"

Illidan Stormrage walked past them, back into the dark room. Large wings lilted gently behind him. "No. Kael'thas is loyal."

Lady Vashj hesitated with her next question. "Are you… certain that this woman will not get in the way? I've seen the look in her eyes. She is ambitious, and self-righteousss. She will try to ssssway him against usss."

"I too watched her when she did not know I was looking, My Lord." Scy'thlerin instantly supported his queen. "She is too bold… and too many of the Sunfury admire her. She is dangeroussss." Illidan remained silent, so Scy'thlerin pushed further. "Kael'thas stopped the delivery of arcane crystals. He even sent the Bloodknights to our camp to get the ones we were ssstoring for him… and I think—" he paused, and glanced at Lady Vashj for permission. The Naga Queen blinked twice, a secret code they used. Wave Commander Scy'thlerin straightened, and lashed his tail about confidently. He got very close to Lord Illidan, to make sure he was listening. "It is obvious that Prince Kael'thas never intended to send assassins after the Scryers. He grew very angry at his last three Champions because he did not condone their actions… it had nothing to do with treason. One of our spies heard him say it," the Naga paused dramatically, "that the Scryersss are his friendsss."

Lord Illidan met Scy'thlerin's eyes. "You are twisting his words." He accused.

"No, my Lord, no. These very thingsss left hiss mouth." Scy'thlerin clacked his jaws again. "It is what you feared. Kael'thas relented with punishment because he hoped that they would run away from you… even if he himself could not."

Illidan had to sit down. He wrapped his wings tight around himself like a cloak, like he wished to hug himself against the horrible truth.

"You are playing a dangerous game with me, Lady Vashj." He looked through her minion to the true woman in power. "If you are wrong in your scheming this time…" he left off threatening her. Their relationship was complex. She'd come to his aid long ago, as would a friend. Kael'thas came on hands and knees, begging for salvation. Between the two elves, it was not yet clear who was master and who was the slave, the demon or the warlock. "He _will_ remain loyal. Kael'thas will not leave me here. He can't." but Illidan did not sound completely confident. Fear tinged his roiling voice.

That was all Lady Vashj had wanted out of the meeting. "Come, let's go. The night is young, and there is ssstill much to do." She signaled, and Scy'thlerin came back to her side, like a dog. "My Lord, are you ssso very sssure that you won't attend one of my partiesss? We hold each one in your honor, and it saddens my people that you won't come."

Illidan had a vacant look. He was shaken. "No… I have many other more important things to manage. Though that is very kind of you, Lady Vashj."

"Be well, my friend." She smiled sweetly, and left the room.

Illidan brooded to himself for a very long time before moving on. He kept thinking about Saturna in her white dress. Then that vision twisted into something volatile, with claws and teeth, coming for him…

"You can have your crystals, you can have your women, whatever it takes to keep you happy by my side. But if I find out that you are lying to me…" Illidan inhaled an angry breath, he drew his wings more tightly about him, and hunched his shoulders underneath. A black wing talon brushed his chin, and it look like he would burrow underneath his wings to hide from the storm in his mind. His hands were revealed then, as the wings rose. Slick dark talons pierced the stone armrests of the ancient seat. The rock beneath his palms began to crumble. "I will take everything away, until there is nothing left… nothing can stand between a demon and his…" Illidan snarled at what he was about to say. Here he was, sinking into despair about his situation again. He would make himself a hypocrite by giving into his fears. "Nothing is going to come between me and Kael'thas. I will see to that."


	7. Fangirl in a white dress

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Seven: Fangirl in a white dress **

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider backed away from Saturna and tripped over a tall stack of books on the floor.

"Kael? Are you okay?"

Kael'thas lay on the red carpet, shaking and wide-eyed. Saturna bent to help him up, but he didn't see the hand she offered. The low neckline of the white dress--and one couldn't really call it a neckline—was composed of shards of fabric cut to imitate writhing white flames that licked the sides of her bosom. Some kind of magic thread had been used... Kael'thas kept waiting for Saturna to catch on fire, the embroidery and enchantments looked so real. Her entire midsection was revealed, and the waist of the skirt flared and glowed in the same fashion. Her underwear was easy to see through the filmy skirt, in fact, it matched the top so well, the transparency was probably intentional.

Kael'thas became aware of his staring. "I can see through your dress!" he accused her.

Saturna helped him to his feet and she laughed. "You know… that's kind of the point. This is a date, and I like you… I wanted to impress you. And…" Saturna paused, wondering if she should go quite this far, so early in their date. "I'm no tease. I was hoping that we could, you know." Her hands roved up the length of Kael'thas' gold-embroidered red sleeves. She squeezed his muscular arms and gave him a meaningful look.

"Um… Saturna, I… This really isn't… uh…"

"When you conjured the phoenix this morning… that was _very_ sexy."

Saturna startled Kael'thas out of his train of thought. "What? It was? But… how?"

She started giggling. "Well, all that fire… the raw power you held in each hand, and the way you stood conjuring, as if the weight of the world was on your shoulders. But you carried it so well. Don't look at me like that, like you think I'm making this up."

"I don't know Saturna, the last time you seduced me, I ended up in a lot of pain." But he wasn't joking. Kael'thas looked terrified.

Saturna reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed herself up against him. "If I were to stand in a powerful wind that tore at my clothing, whipped my hair about... If I sweated with the effort of standing strong against the storm, my body consumed by living flame…" then Saturna smiled at how easy the comparison to make now in her dress. "Not cool, red fire, but white-hot… wouldn't you think I was sexy too?"

She didn't wait for his answer. Saturna leaned in and stole the kiss she wanted. "Why don't you cast another spell tonight, and burn _me_, baby." She took Kael'thas' hand and walked him over to the bed.

"Ah… I can't." Kael'thas began breathing rapidly. He tried to get an explanation out, but it wouldn't come. He took anxious steps backward until he bumped up against the door.

Saturna cocked her head to the side. "Kael'thas… you're not going to leave, are you? I'm serious this time. I really do want you, in this room the way it should have been two months ago. Except this time, there are no arcane crystals to hide from, and you are in your right mind. And I don't see why we should dance around all this chemistry between us, we're both adults." She lay down on the bed and tossed her head back, began to run her fingers through her luxurious pale blonde hair that was nearly white. "You told me that you could make me scream… I'm waiting."

Kael'thas' mind went blank with fear. She was just too much, too beautiful… he knew that he couldn't resist her. Where any other man might have met the enticing challenge, Kael'thas had a sudden irrational impulse to run and hide. He couldn't breathe…

Prince Kael'thas fumbled with the doorknob, and one of the guards opened the door for him from the other side. The kindly guard saluted the Prince, and he saluted back, and walked calmly through the door, at first. Then, he looked over his shoulder and flinched at Saturna watching him.

"I'm sorry but…" then Kael'thas ran for his life.

Saturna stood by herself in the room, jaw slack. "Did he just—?" she asked the guard.

The Sunfury guard shrugged. "I don't know… he's never done that before?"

Saturna jogged out into the hallway and looked around the corner, into the main causeway. Kael'thas really was fleeing, but he was running wild, like he'd seen a ghost. He might just hurt himself.

"Oh shit." Saturna swore softly and sprinted after him.

Why Kael'thas Sunstrider ran to the Sunfury barracks was anyone's guess. The place was dark and soldiers were asleep in their tents or bedrolls. Saturna almost fell over someone and just barely regained her feet in the heart of their camp. Fortunately, no one woke to her disturbance. Saturna tried to focus in the pitch black.

"Kael? My Prince? This isn't funny! Where are you?" she whispered harshly. A few yards ahead, at the edge of the courtyard, Saturna thought she saw some movement. The Hawkstrider mounts and other animals were kept out in the open air, and a few torches were lit.

"Who the hell does something like this?" Saturna cursed to herself as she carefully picked over what she thought were sleeping soldiers. Now she was afraid that her delicate dress would snag something or someone. She had a worse fear that Kael'thas would bump into one of his own soldiers and make a complete ass out of himself. Like he could afford to lose any more of their respect. Saturna forgot about their date and focused on getting to her Prince to protect him now… and once again, she was protecting Kael'thas from himself. She sighed, disappointed.

Saturna thought she heard footsteps. She stopped walking to listen, but whomever was walking nearby stopped too. She was being followed. Bloodknights aren't very good at acting stealthily, but Saturna knew how to deal with an attacker. She dropped the notion of going on the offensive though. More than likely it was Kael'thas. That he was playing a game with her made more sense than… well, running away from a woman who just wanted to sleep with him.

Saturna kept on for a few more footfalls, feigning ignorance of his presence. When she sensed he was almost ontop of her, Saturna came around fast and leapt on him first. He could see her better than she could see him. He grabbed her wrists and wrestled with her. Saturna pushed back, and then guessed the position of the feet from where the hands were. Saturna kicked out and swept his legs from under him. He landed flat on his back with a grunt. Saturna's eyes began to adjust to the dark. There was a clear space around them, no soldiers.

She also saw the man leap back up onto his feet like it was nothing. He crouched low, like a wrestler, and Saturna met his challenge. She hiked up her skirt. They squared off in the darkness.

"This isn't funny," she hissed.

"No it is not."

Saturna recognized that voice. It wasn't Kael'thas. But who… she felt something slam into her gut, it knocked the wind out of her. Saturna was pushed on her back. She reached an arm up to swipe at the face, but her attacker pushed it aside, parrying. Saturna was on her way up, but the man grabbed her other arm and forced the full weight of his body on her hips. With his toes, that were in socks, he forced her feet far apart so that it was painful to move her legs. She felt the stretch in her thighs. Then his hands slid up her wrists and he pressed his palms into her hands. Her knuckles and fingers were forced flat against the cold ground. It hurt to move them as well. Finally, the man shifted his weight so that his chest covered hers. Saturna struggled, but she knew it was useless. She was stuck.

"Who are you, and what are you doing sneaking around my soldiers?"

Saturna finally recognized the voice, and her eyes could now tell the face. "General Blaize?"

General Blaize blinked. He was older than she and Kael'thas, but he had kind features. Saturna never imagined that he could be this savage… or feel this good. The woman roved her eyes around, annoyed at herself in the dark. She'd been wandering around Outland with three unavailable men for far too long. _Down girl…_ she thought.

"Mistress Whiteblade! What are you doing out here… and in such a lovely Solar Festival dress."

He noticed! Unlike her actual date... "Well, I'm glad to see someone recognized it." She whispered back.

Kael'thas' general chuckled softly. It was a delightful aristocratic laugh. "So you have blue blood as well… I wonder why I didn't recognize you before? Let me guess, you are one of the Mageblades."

Saturna knew she should feel weird having this conversation with Kael'thas' General lying ontop of her, but she didn't want to move either.

"Well, before I turned my blade white, I was." She admitted. "I hail from a long line of capable mages, all nobility, all raised at the highest echelon of High Elf society. This is actually my cotillion dress."

General Blaize smiled at her in the darkness. "I see why I didn't recognize you when you arrived at the Black Temple… your cotillion wasn't very long ago, then was it? When you were introduced as a lady into polite society, I was already a grown man, courting ladies of a different generation. That was the last summer solstice festival before that damned Arthas came, wasn't it?"

Saturna nodded.

"I feel for you then," he got up and Saturna wished that he would revel in indecency with her for a little longer, even if it had been by accident. "You suffered more than most… to have all those dreams of marrying well, even courting the Prince dashed… very tragic for a young lady."

Saturna smiled sadly. "It's been a long time since I met someone who understands… thank you, General Blaize." She said as he helped her up. "Though I'm all grown up now, and a Bloodknight. I don't regret that the tragedy brought a Naaru to the city and empowered me to seek vengeance against the enemies of Quel'thalas though. My family would have certainly been against their precious groomed daughter taking up arms if not for this struggle."

"Indeed." General Blaize bowed to her. She liked how cordial he was. It reminded her of back home… "Though I am still curious to know why you are here… unless it's none of my business?" He tactfully gave her a way out.

Saturna blushed, though General Blaize probably couldn't tell in the dark. "Well, it's not that surprising really, if you consider what you already know about my background… I'm kind of on a date."

"Oh," General Blaize seemed a bit disappointed… unless Saturna was imagining things.

"But, it's not a date anymore. I'm afraid that Prince Kael'thas has run off, and I can't… you see he… well, he's around here somewhere."

General Blaize took a step closer, and lowered his voice even more. "How many crystals did he use this time? Did you have some as well?"

"No! I don't abuse arcane crystals, and Kael'thas doesn't either, well not anymore."

"But how can you be sure? If he's running around like this—"

"Because I forced him to get clean, about two months ago. But no one is supposed to know that, General."

General Blaize thought about this. "Ah I see… now the black robes, the daily sessions exercising his magical skill... it all makes sense now. You, helped him with that?"

"Yes, General. I know for a fact that he isn't high right now, though I'm still worried that the Prince is acting strangely and might hurt himself."

General Blaize saluted her in the dark. "I have so much I want to say to you, to thank you for succeeding where many of us failed…" he sighed. "But none of that now. We must find the Prince." Soldiers around them began to stir, and General Blaize ushered Saturna some feet away. She couldn't see where they were going, but clearly General Blaize felt comfortable in these shadows. "You head over to the stables, where the lights are. I know these camps like the back of my hand. I'll scour this area. If you find him, give a whistle."

Saturna clapped a hand to her chest and sneaked away.

Kael'thas wasn't any better off in the Sunfury barracks than Saturna was, really. He needed the light to see, and the stables were an easy hiding place. She saw his bright red robes peeking out from behind a startled Hawkstrider.

"Don't come any closer!" he warned.

"Shh! Lower your voice, Kael'thas, unless you want everyone to know you're here."

"I don't want you to see me like this."

Saturna made a little whimpering noise. "Aww… Oh Kael, you can't help it if you… um… get like this sometimes. I understand." She crept closer, and patted the nervous blue bird mount. He turned to her, smiling awkwardly. "You know, all of us have days when… Gotchya!"

Kael'thas would have cried out, but Saturna twisted his arm around behind his back so fast that his knees buckled, and he doubled over with the pain.

"What in the world is wrong you, woman!" he gasped.

Saturna growled at him. "Keep your voice low, and it's Mistress Whiteblade! Don't dare speak to me like that again, do you hear?"

"Ow!" Kael'thas struggled to walk upright as Saturna pushed him along. Saturna shoved him and Kael'thas managed a weak, "I mean… yes Ma'am."

When they got to her door on the other side of camp, Saturna let forth a sharp whistle, and waved to General Blaize.

"Have you got him alright?" he called out. Soldiers began to stir around him. "At ease, there's nothing to see here."

Now that everything was settled, Saturna thanked the General aloud. Kael'thas swore when she yanked her bedroom door open and forced him inside.

She closed the door behind her and locked it. "What in the Sun is wrong with you, you weirdo!"

"Where do you get off handling me like that? I've never been treated so poorly--"

"If I hadn't, you would've run away again."

Kael'thas started to object, but then he groaned and rubbed his arm. "Well, you're right about that. Saturna… like I tried to tell you back in my room, I'm sorry. I can't help getting so nervous when I… ah… oh no. Could you please put something else on?"

Saturna looked angry for a second, but then she laughed at Kael'thas and began taking off her clothes.

"No!" he shielded his eyes and tripped over his own feet.

Saturna went to help him up. "Oh… I see." Kael'thas looked down at the floor, ashamed.

"I'm so sorry I embarrassed you, Saturna."

"Don't be." She kissed him, which he first resisted, but then he relaxed and began to enjoy himself. After a while, she asked him, "Are you going to run away again, if I let you go?"

"I can't. The door's locked." He sulked.

"And for a good reason too." She took him by the hand and they got into bed.

"I really shouldn't be doing this…"

"Don't talk." Saturna warned him.

"But you're so beautiful. Believe me I want to…"

Saturna moaned against his mouth. She pulled Kael'thas ontop of her. "So just do it." She smiled. "Two months ago, I listened to a cute bookworm teach me about magic. You're so intelligent, and funny… that is I what I like about you. I don't care if you're awkward."

Kael'thas got quiet. Then, he sat up. "You know, this is only the second time we've ever really spoken in the last two months. You can't possibly have feelings for me. And… I hardly know you."

Saturna blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Fine. You caught me. I want to sleep with you for my own reasons."

The Blood Elf Prince grew angry in an instant. "I knew it! You're just like all the other women I've ever been with. You just want power, to sit on the Thalassian throne. I swear, women are the bane of my existence!"

"Woah! Wait a minute, I never said that. I just meant that… well, it's embarrassing."

Kael'thas stood. "If you have any intention of staying here at the Black Temple, you had better tell me exactly why you are so eager to sleep with me." He leaned in, green eyes blazing. A golden eyebrow raised in challenge.

Saturna turned red. "If you weren't in such a delicate situation, having to watch your back all the time around these Demons and Naga, and even the Sunfury… I would never tell you." She shrugged. "But you see, being with you means that much to me… I'll tell you. Even if it is horribly mortifying."

Kael'thas looked uncomfortable. "Have you fallen in love with me?"

"No!" Saturna flared. "Well, over the last two months, I found that I like you very much, as a real man… I just kind of, have a crush on you. But that was really a nice surprise to go ontop of everything else." She paused. "Honestly, it's much deeper than that." She folded her legs underneath her like a lady and rearranged her skirt. Then, she looked down at her hands in her lap. "My Prince… you saved my life." Tears came to her eyes. "And I would give anything… absolutely anything to show you how deeply grateful I am." She began shaking her head. "You must think I'm crazy."

"How did I save your life? I never met you before, at least I don't think I have?"

Saturna looked up, but had to wipe a tear from her eye with her hand. "Everything that I am today, is because of you, ever since I can remember. I feel like I was born to be a Bloodknight, and that option was only open to me because of the Naaru you sent. And before that, when the city was ruined… half my family was gone, our home and investments destroyed… but then you came and made that speech, rallying all of us to become Blood Elves. I was so lost then, and desperate, but when I looked at the fire in your eyes, I suddenly knew who I was. I was _your_ subject, and you were the great Prince of Quel'thalas… I felt proud to be someone you cared enough to travel back from Dalaran for, and then brave the threat of the Scourge for, without even your father to help you…" Saturna couldn't dry her tears fast enough, and so gave up on that. "And before that, I was raised to be the kind of woman you might marry, a Lady of the Court of the Sun." she smiled a bit. "I was even in this guild… we had pink tabards and pictures of you. I guess I was a pretty obsessed fangirl back then. But it was more than perhaps becoming the queen someday. It was about honoring the Royal House, giving your life to the glory of Quel'thalas, like our mothers before us and their mothers… this is my cotillion dress! It was a really big deal back then. All I ever dreamed about was meeting you, and impressing you."

Kael'thas did not look pleased.

"But after the war, I saw how life was more than Solar Festivals, dresses that showed the body off like stained glass, or curtseying to the Prince just so…" Her whole demeanor became like steel. "It was about defending our way of life, which was and always will be the same as protecting you, and honoring you, my Prince." She saluted out of habit. "And now I am a Master of the Light. I have a meaning, and a purpose because of you. There were times when I wanted to die, before and after the Scourge came. But then, I would think of you, and feel proud, have hope. Kael'thas… I suppose I do love you in a way. I never had the chance to know you as a man, a person, but as an icon, as the Prince of Quel'thalas, I adore you, I believe in you and would give my life for you."

She crawled to the edge of the bed, to be closer to him. "When Lady Liadrin gave me the mission to lead these men to you and tell you about the Bloodknights of Silvermoon, she asked me to seduce you, to trick you onto our side. I was excited about meeting you at last, but I knew that I couldn't really do everything she asked. I couldn't lie to you and play games with you. But I did lie to Lady Liadrin. I showed her this dress and told her that I would, because I felt I was the best one for the job. I did not want any other woman to do it. I decided that… if I was going to sleep with you, then I would do it in a way that meant something to me, as a gift to you."

Saturna stood in front of Kael'thas, then she went down on one knee. But then, overcome with emotion, bowed low and kissed his feet.

"Please, let me worship you. Let me give you everything that I have for just one night. I have come all this way to do homage, My Prince. Please… show compassion for someone as low as myself. Let me complete my mission, as Lady Liadrin requested, in the most perfect way that I can. And then maybe… you'll understand what I feel, as a Bloodknight, and a woman, and a Lady of the Court of the Sun, all at once. I haven't any gold, or rare trinkets to show my thanks. All I have, and all that I ever wanted to give you, is myself."

The Blood Elf Prince folded his arms across his chest and took a step away from her. "This is not a date, Saturna."

Saturna bristled. "But I don't see how… I thought that it was. Why did you ask to see me tonight then?"

"I want to appoint Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore as my new security officers. However, I wanted to have your permission first, since you are their commander."

Saturna was uncomfortable that Kael'thas ignored her plea. "Alright… I give my permission. My men are worthy enough." She knelt again. "But, I still need to know—"

"And I want to make you my champion. The first day you spent here, you proved to me that you were worthy of my trust, by seeing to my health. And just now, you proved yourself again. It must not have been an easy decision, to lie to Lady Liadrin like that, for me."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I don't know what to say?"

"Why would you say anything but yes? I am offering you an opportunity to show your thanks, but in a more professional way."

Saturna stood. "You aren't… are you rejecting me?"

Kael'thas said nothing.

"But you… are like the sun in my sky. Surely you understand that now. I'm not trying to steal your heart, or get with child and steal your heritage… I just want to make love to you."

Kael'thas waved a hand dismissively. "You are obsessed with me, but I've seen it before. It's not dangerous unless I indulge your fantasies."

"What? No, what I feel is reverence, a profound respect… Didn't you listen to anything I just said!"

Kael'thas shook his head. "Saturna, please, I don't want to make this any more difficult than it has to be. You are lovely, and smart. I'll admit that I find you attractive, but we can't cross that line. Look, it's not your fault, it's me—"

"Don't you give me that crap!" she shouted at him. "If you don't want me, just say so!" she sounded distraught.

"Saturna, just calm down. I told you that I'm terrible with women. They are like another addiction to me. And we are in the middle of a war anyway, there is no place to build a romance. I don't want to put you in danger if people get jealous or gossip. Talk in the Black Temple is dangerous. There are spies everywhere, and Lord Illidan is always watching--"

"I've been here two whole months and I've never seen Illidan. At this point, I'm starting to think he doesn't even exist!"

Kael'thas was horrified. "Don't speak about him that way… it is more dangerous than you could ever imagine."

An awkward silence passed between them.

"What is your answer then? Will you be my champion? I want to honor you for saving my life… I am sorry, Saturna, but it is the best I can do."

Saturna seethed. "You just want to shut me up. Don't dare look at me like that! You forget who raised me. I know all about political intrigue, lying for the greater good… if I am going to be your champion, then I want to earn it."

"But you have! You just said so yourself, that you saved my life!" But Kael'thas was more startled to be so easily discovered, his desperate attempt at forging peace of mind foiled.

"Who asks a person to become a living symbol of their values, a weapon of flesh against their enemies after only knowing them for thirty five days? I'm not an idiot Kael'thas. Though I am proud that you would think of me that way, I cannot accept right now."

Kael'thas closed the distance between them and sneered. "Is this because I won't sleep with you?"

Saturna slapped him. In the tiny room, it echoed.

"If you truly wanted me to become your champion, then you would understand my plea, and let me give to you the greatest gift I have. You would do this because you trust me, and believe that I have a noble heart. How could I be a figurehead of your moral strength, and be any less?"

Kael'thas felt his cheek and shook his head. "How convenient. I suppose you don't want to sleep with me now that I'm being such a bastard." He goaded her.

Saturna walked towards the door. "Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. Because you are my savior, I will always want to sleep with you. You could be ugly and not handsome, sickly and not living in such a beautiful body. You could be a cutthroat or a failure, a downtrodden refugee in the Lower City, and I would still go to you and offer you my body as well as my life. That is the depth of my feeling, the respect I have for your office and your personage." She unlocked and opened her door. "But I can see that you have no respect for the gift I have offered, not even as a man to a woman." She thrust out her chin. "Please, leave."

"You are throwing me out? Me! The Prince!"

Saturna watched him leave. Just outside, Kael'thas turned and thrust a finger at her. "I want your answer tomorrow when the others report, after you're done sulking. I am doing you a favor by even offering the position to you. Goodnight." He stormed off.

Much later that night, Saturna went nextdoor and knocked. There was fighting over whose turn it was to get up and answer it. Fennore inevitably met her on the doorstep.

"Commander? What brings you here so late? Are you… crying?"

Saturna went and stood in the middle of the room. She tried to dry her tears but failed. She covered her face.

"He said No."

"What?" Sunthraze griped, groggy from sleep. Pyorin sat up in the bottom bunk and shushed him.

"Who said No?" Pyorin asked.

Saturna took a step forward, but then sank to her knees and hugged herself. "Kael'thas. I came all this way… but he looked at me like I was the Plague. Then he told me 'goodnight.' I just wanted to sleep with him, to show him what I feel… the reverence, the awe… my pride for him and for Silvermoon. It's a miracle that he's even still alive. It was going to be my gift. And as a person, he's just so amazing. I really liked him."

The three men got onto the floor with their commander.

"Saturna, it's okay." Sunthraze rubbed her back. Their superior and friend grabbed hold of Pyorin when he offered her a hug, and wept against his shoulder. Fennore swept her hair out of the way, and smoothed it back.

"I really don't think this is such a big deal…" Fennore whispered, confused. "Is it alright for her to be reacting so badly?" He turned to Saturna. "Saturna, sometimes the ones we love just don't love us back."

Pyorin looked at both of the men in the darkness and whispered, "But it matters to Saturna, that's the point... Alright, so I guess it does sound like an obsessive fangirl thing."

Sunthraze scowled. "He's a cruel man, and an idiot who would spurn a perfect woman like Saturna!" The others gave him wary looks, but Sunthraze blushed and tried to ignore that he'd just placed his heart on his sleeve. "Saturna clearly came all this way for him, for her own reasons. The least he could do was indulge her… haven't all of us Blood Elves been through enough?"

"It sounds like you speak treason," Pyorin warned.

"I don't care." Sunthraze focused on his fingers over Saturna's back to avoid the tank's intimidating gaze.

All three held her while she fell apart. That night, Saturna clung to the other Bloodknights like they were her own vigilant brothers.


	8. Sunthraze is sly, Fennore is kidnapped

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Eight: Sunthraze is sly****Fennore is kidnapped, ****Saturna is distracting, ****Pyorin is screwed... but not necessarily in that order  
**

Saturna was in no state to give them any firm directions the next morning. The three men decided that they would go about assigning responsibility for Prince Kael'thas' tasks in the most fair and adult way they could think of: by drawing straws.

Sunthraze ended up with the Naga...

The Naga guard reached around lightning quick and snagged Sunthraze in a headlock. Fennore and Pyorin looked on, horrified.

"Why, pink skin, would you ever dare to insssult my mother..." it hissed and snarled showing a neat row of sharp white teeth, "knowing full well that Naga live in a matriarchy and adore their mothers above all elssse? And furthermore, what possessssed you to say it in Thalassian?"

The second guard had his triton pointed at Fennore and Pyorin. He clacked his jaws angrily.

The first guard tightened is grip around Sunthraze's neck. "You arrogant dolt! Everyone in the Black Temple can speak Thalassian!"

Sunthraze struggled to speak, but he was starting to turn purple.

Pyorin drew his shield and sword. Fennore took a step back, ready to heal... what? Could they really attack the Naga? Wouldn't that result in the exact opposite of what Prince Kael'thas wanted?

"Look, the redhead gets on my nerves to, but you have to let him go." Pyorin managed diplomatically. "I mean, we get it... the first time we asked for the arcane crystals, you said no, the second time you try to snap my friend's neck... we know when we're beat."

The second guard whipped about the tip of his serpentine tail and shoved the triton at the other Bloodknights again when Fennore and Pyorin tried to get near Sunthraze.

"Saturna is going to kill us, and then Prince Kael'thas–"

"Give them... your gold!" Sunthraze choked, and cut Fennore off.

Pyorin smoothed his long black hair nervously. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Your gold! Your gold!" Sunthraze repeated. The two Naga guards shared a look, and then turned greedy yellow eyes on the sinewy tank.

"Now... now you are speaking another universal language in the Black Temple. How much is your friend's life worth?" the one holding Sunthraze asked. He loosened his grip so his victim could speak.

"He has a thousand gold in his money bag, at _least_."

"Sunthraze!" Pyorin snapped.

Sunthraze the Sly rolled his eyes. "You two are so foolish, I practically confessed to having gone through Saturna's things the other day. Do you really think I'd spare any of you? It was a very loong and boring journey through Outland, you know. What, you think my mouthing off just now was a mistake? I knew that we would need your gold for this." he smirked. His Naga captor smiled at him, and Sunthraze smiled back. Then the both of them grinned evilly at Pyorin.

Pyorin swore and detached his gold purse from his plate belt. The second guard snatched it up, had it opened and counted in matter of moments. Finally, he took a gold coin and crunched it with his sharp teeth. He laughed, and showed his companion the dent he'd made.

"I'm Guard Lithwin. You may have your precious friend back." He released Sunthraze and bowed elegantly. However savage they looked covered in blue scales and jagged armor, the Naga could be very cultured when gold was involved. Guard Lithwin pointed to his partner. "This is Rind'wrin. We're brothers."

Rind'wrin smiled at the Bloodknights, but said nothing.

"He can't talk." Lithwin explained. "But he can be very, very mean. They like to put the two of us at the gates. Then, Rind'wrin made a loud sucking noise through his gills that ended in a bonechilling low gurgle.

"I see that he makes up for his lack of speech." Fennore whispered to Pyorin.

Pyorin wasn't amused. "Alright, now give us the crystals."

Lithwin laughed. "You salt for brains! Why would we hand them over? They are worth more than a thousand gold... why just one crystal would sell for–"

"I've seen arcane crystals in various auction houses! They don't cost that much."

"When you have to pay Broken slaves to drudge them up out of the ground, they do."

"Slaves are free." Pyorin argued further.

Rind'wrin looked at his brother, and winked. Lithwin nodded in turn and slithered up close to Pyorin. "Good. Bloodknight, I can see that you are a business man, like myself. We don't really care what you want the arcane crystals for... that is not our job. But you see, we guard the gates... we are held accountable for anyone who passes into the North Wing, into Lady Vashj's chambers. When they see three Blood Elves passing through the Lagoon, they had better have a very good reason to be, or else it's our heads."

Pyorin folded his arms across his chest. "That's not my problem."

Sunthraze stood nearby, rubbing his neck. "You stubborn, idiot..." he snarled at Pyorin, then stepped out in front of him. "Really, I'm sorry about the mother comment just now, but I was hoping to force a situation in which my friend would part with his coin purse, you understand. I'm not capable of intimidating him by myself."

Rind'wrin leaned in and snapped his jaws at Sunthraze. Without using any words, it became clear that Rind'wrin was offended to have his mother maligned too. When he was done flinching, Sunthraze continued, "Pyorin's current dirty looks aside, I want to make a deal. Clearly a thousand gold is not enough for the escort to the crystals within your compound nor for the crystals themselves. But, I believe two thousand gold is reasonable."

"Sunthraze!" Pyorin interjected.

Sunthraze waved Pyorin off. "Do we have a deal, gentlemen?" he extended his hand.

Lithwin looked at his brother, but Rind'wrin shook his head.

"Fifty thousand gold pieces."

"What! That's monstrous... ten thousand."

"Thirty."

"Fifteen."

"We can get more than that if we sell to the Demonsss..."

"Fine, twenty thousand. That is my final offer."

"Sunthraze, this is ludicrous–" Pyorin warned.

"Done." Sunthraze shook hands with Guard Lithwin, and then his brother Rind'wrin. "...on one condition." Tritons were again raised, but Sunthraze boldly pushed them aside. "I want to see what I just purchased. I can't take your word for it, can I?"

"You're ssneaky..." Lithwin hissed. "But I like you for it. Come with me."

Pyorin and Fennore tried to follow Sunthraze into the Naga camp but Rind'wrin slithered forward and made a noise that sounded like a hoarse crocolisk barking... if such a thing were possible.

"If you die... I'm not coming in to resurrect you!" Fennore called after.

"And if you live, I am not paying your ransom!" Pyorin shouted. Sunthraze the Sly turned around to wink at them before disappearing with Lithwin behind a curtain of dried blue stranglekelp beyond the gates.

Sunthraze struggled to find a word to describe the Naga encampment. The phrase "pleasure palace" kept coming to mind, but he felt it was wrong to give simple reptilian creatures that much credit. However, everywhere he looked there were gentle structures and opulence. White and black pearls hung on strings in muted blue light between tiered red-roofed huts. An enormous skylight overhead reminded Sunthraze of the lesser shrine Prince Kael'thas had conjured his phoenix in. But more dried stranglekelp and a strange delicate woven fabric screened much of the hole in the domed roof, making the light fall in waves as if everything were underwater. And then, some of the ruined tile floor had been dug out and flooded. Naga swam to and from these makeshift pools by narrow water causeways. Aquatic plants grew everywhere between the stained ancient tiles making some dark corners look like real lagoons. Finally, to the east, a spiraling staircase led up the side of what appeared to be a beautifully restored altar. The Naga had built up a small temple around it. A golden pearl hovered over the pointed roof swathed in an aura of enchanted red magic. The one who sat in the pink curtained balcony just underneath this tower was not present, but Sunthraze did not doubt that it was the throne of Lady Vashj herself.

Sunthraze stopped walking altogether when a Naga woman slithered past him. She actually smiled and winked at him. Then, she said something in her language... Sunthraze begged Lithwin to translate it.

Lithwin sighed. "That was meant only for your earsss. And yes, she can speak Thalassian, like I told you earlier. However, she did it on purpose. I suppose you could consider yourself welcome to the Lagoon now... She'shara will want you to learn Naga and then come back. And if I were you, I'd go about learning it quick before she forgets you exist."

Sunthraze never imagined he could be attracted to a Naga. But, really, swaying hips said something special in every language... and no one could strut and slither like a mysterious Naga woman.

"Here are your crystals." Lithwin pointed with his triton.

A gleaming white mountain of arcane crystals sparkled a few paces ahead of them. They weren't stacked against the wall to keep them out of the way, but to keep them from spilling out into everything blue and muted like the Naga.

"What a... delicious eyesore!" Sunthraze wanted to leap headfirst into the tantalizing arcane magic.

"We will help you cart them out... for another hundred gold." Lithwin smiled deviously, and wrapped a chummy arm around Sunthraze's shoulders.

Sunthraze had an easier time explaining why the arcane crystals cost so much than Pyorin did proving that no, he did not have a gambling problem.

Fennore and Sunthraze rolled their eyes as Pyorin led them to the Eastern Wing of the Black Temple, where the Demons and Fel Orcs camped near Lord Illidan.

"Look I have all that gold because I have a deck of Darkmoon Faire cards... a _full _deck. The people who just sell them off in pieces are idiots... they are worth far more as a set."

"So, you collect them?" Fennore tapped a thoughtful finger against his clean shaven jaw.

"No! I play with them."

"Ah, I see, like dolls. Well, that's waaay better than having a gambling problem." Sunthraze smirked.

Pyorin's expression darkened. "Alright, have either of you ever been to Undermine before?"

"How could we? Steamwheedle Port doesn't lead anywhere; there are no boats that ferry people away from the naked docks. I'm not even sure how you got there." Fennore shrugged.

"That is exactly why you can't possibly be judging me right now. Only people with full decks of Darkmoon Faire cards get invited to Undermine. They are rare enough as it is, and people who actually know how to play the cards are even rarer. The Trade Princes desperately search for individuals with a soulbound stack of cards. They need these recruits to keep the casinos in Undermine going. King of like an army of gamblers. All the gold in the Steamwheedle Cartel goes through Undermine... their casinos are the only way they can convince wealthy merchants to give back a lot of what would otherwise be pure profit. It keeps the Trade Princes in power."

Sunthraze massaged the ridge of his nose with two pinched fingers. "Pyorin... that makes absolutely no sense."

"It does when you are recruited as a Darkmoon card dealer at one of the casino tables. That's what I did for three years, before I got tired of all that glitter and escaped from the Life."

"The Life?" Fennore wondered.

"You know, the Life, the way of a Darkmoon Faire card dealer... it was what I turned to after Silvermoon City was ruined, and being a Bloodknight still wasn't enough to help me get over the pain. But then I got even sicker of all the pressure the Trade Princes put on me and got out of there, fast. They trained me how to play the Game, but I didn't want to live the Life anymore. It's useful actually. I turned it into a profession. Every once in a while, I come across some poor sap who thinks he knows how to use Darkmoon Faire cards and I take his money when he loses... there are always a few people in every major city, and between cities there are rings of people... maybe I'm no blacksmith, but my cards keep the armor on my back in pristine condition just the same. It's a profession, and I don't need any expensive materials to profit from it, just stupid people, and those are everywhere. Now, do you get it?"

Fennore and Sunthraze shook their heads that they didn't. Pyorin sighed. "Look, Sunthraze, if I already didn't know some Sunfury who were into it, you'd be shit out of luck right now, so don't dare make fun of me. I think we can make the money we need for the crystals in a year or so."

"What! We have to report to Prince Kael'thas this evening, and Lithwin warned me that the longer he had to wait, the more interest he would charge."

"Interest on a purchase? That we haven't made yet?" Fennore was alarmed.

Sunthraze explained how he kind of made a down payment when She'shara came back and started talking in Naga again, and next he insisted that no self respecting Blood Elf could ever turn down a pile of arcane crystals that large. His companions were not impressed.

Finally, they came to the East Gate, Lord Illidan's camps. Pyorin had drawn the shortest straw. He was stuck with the Demons and Fel Orcs.

"This should be interesting. I wonder what the Demons do for fun?" Fennore mused aloud. His friends looked at him critically but then decided not to respond and therefore encourage any more of his strange Demon-loving behavior. Fennore sensed their discomfort. "Well, it's not like I'd want to be in your shoes, Pyorin. I'm glad that I'll be dealing with the Sunfury later today. Though, perhaps while we're in there, maybe I might be able to--"

Pyorin spoke up very loudly then. "Well, I guess it's my turn. Demons, here I come." He marched out of the dark main causeway. Two Terrorfiend guards stood on either side of the entrance of what was obviously the largest wing of the Black Temple. Flickering torches did little to cut the darkness of the ruins.

Pyorin scratched the back of his neck as he talked. "Look... it doesn't get more pathetic than a Bloodknight asking a Demon to like him. You have no idea how emasculating this is... on so very many different levels. But, if you have any pity in your hearts for perhaps the most unlucky paladins on the face of Azeroth, hell! In Outland even... could you please let me in with my friends, so we can have a look around? I know you didn't trust our intentions last time, but really, we don't mean any harm... if we could just strike up a conversation with some Fel Orcs or some such, make friends with you all somehow–"

The two brown Terrorfiends started to laugh, and the frightful toothed jowls in their stomachs belched bright green fel magic and laughed as well. They were leaning over their knees with it, and Pyorin turning to leave when,

"Your submission pleases us, unlike the arrogant show you made last time. Make your way in." the first guard said.

"But displease Lord Illidan and you die FAST!" the second guard clapped his fist to his chest.

Pyorin quickly nodded and waved his friends over. _Wow, I had no idea that being honest would actually work…_

"By the way, what are your names? I want to thank you properly–"

"You have not yet earned that right." The first guard snarled at Pyorin as he, Sunthraze and Fennore passed inside.

And just when the three Bloodknights were beginning to believe that Demons had some semblance of a code of honor, something that they could learn and perhaps master, their hopes were dashed.

Lord Illidan's camps were a disorganized series of hovels, waste piles, and fire pits. It was hardly the wonder of the Naga Lagoon Sunthraze described for them. No one even acknowledged them when they entered. The demons were busy fighting or harassing each other in a way that could only lead to more fighting.

"What in the hell are we supposed to do now, Pyorin?" Sunthraze asked.

"You're the sly one who won over the Naga... I was about to ask you?" Pyorin said.

"Look!" Fennore pointed at a trio of succubii walking over to the entrance. "I've never seen... that armor is _so_ very revealing... and their skin looks to be made of molten fire..."

"Fennore... this is not the time or place for your creepy fetish." Sunthraze frowned.

"But... if I just introduce myself... maybe touch them. Do you think they'll let me touch them?"

Before Pyorin and Sunthraze could stop it, Fennore was in the midst of the demonnesses, they already offended, and three barbed whips raised into the air...

Pyorin looked to Sunthraze for support, but the sly man was already running back outside.

"Damn him! The coward!"

The unsettling sounds of Fennore's anguish forced the last remaining Bloodknight into action. Pyorin the tank lowered his shield and rushed in.

"Halt!" the tallest succubus shouted. She raised Fennore up by the throat, off of his feet. Fennore whimpered and called a Blessing of Protection on himself. "This one has greatly dishonored us. We will take him back to our lair for punishment. Will you really fight us for him and throw your life away? Everyone here will come to my aid if you persist." she warned.

Pyorin was startled by the demon's perfect speech. Not only did she speak more eloquently than he thought possible for a monster, the others around her seemed to hear it as well, though they should have been too far away. She was clearly some sort of leader according to their ranks. Red-skinned Fel Orcs, more Terrorfiends, Imps and Dreadlords left off their misbehaving and stepped forward. The small army she threatened him with formed fast. He couldn't tank all of this... especially without a healer.

Pyorin put down his shield and the Suneater sword he carried, then scratched his head. "Alright, Madam... you seem like a fair person. Why don't we settle this with a game of chance?" Pyorin tried to hide his smile. He retrieved a stack of cobalt blue Darkmoon Faire cards from inside his plate boot. He always carried them... to get out of just these kinds of situations. The cards smoked with an eerie green aura. Many hollow voices whispered up from every symbol of power trapped within the deck. "I'll play you for the Healadin you're holding."

The three succubii gasped at the enticing magical morsel.

"If I win," Pyorin put on his unreadable game face, "You let my friend go, and we leave here alive. If you win..." he eyed Fennore who almost smiled as he struggled half-heartedly in the woman's clawed grasp, "You can take him home with you... I only ask that you never, _ever_ bring him back."

"Pyorin! It's completely natural... don't judge cross-racial attraction–"

"Done!" The lead succubus growled greedily, and nearly sounded like a hungry feral Lynx. She put down Fennore, but her companions lashed a whip round his wrists. They led him forward like a pet.

"Where are you taking us?" Pyorin worried. The whole place full of Demons and other villains moved with them.

"To the gambling table, where my deck is stored. I am the Card Mistress in this place. Did you honestly think I would agree to play with a stranger's cards?" Then she made a self-satisfied hissing noise that the other Demons echoed. The Fel Orcs beat their chests and started shouting with laughter. A cacophony rose as bets were placed… Pyorin tried not to be intimidated by all the bets against him.

"Let The Game begin!" A Dreadlord welcomed them at the table. He took the succubus' deck, and in the other hand seized Pyorin's. Then, grinning wickedly, he shuffled both stacks into one.

"It wouldn't be very much fun for me if I beat you absolutely. I'm a humane demon. I never destroy my opponents… that is for the battlefield." she explained. "You certainly did not come in here knowing how heavy into cards we Demons are. If the decks are combined then you can at least lose with some dignity, no? And I will win with much the same… By the way, my name is Mavia, now that we are going to challenge each other." The succubus said, after taking a seat. "And yours?"

"Mavia... I've heard of you before: 'Mavia the Maneater.' That is what they used to call you in Undermine, wasn't it? But that was long before I came." Pyorin went pale.

Mavia smiled. "Before they threw me out for embezzling from the casino tables over a decade, yes."

Pyorin squinted an eye, disturbed at his terrible luck. "I'm screwed. Just... call me that."

_At that same moment in the Sunfury Camp…_

Saturna finally managed to pull herself together by midday. She went to sit and watch the Sunfury soldiers train a few feet beyond her room. It wasn't much, but it was better than moping alone inside of her room. At first, she looked on attentively as General Blaize directed them out in the courtyard. It helped to pretend that she was gleaning some kind tactical input through observation. But, as the hours wore on, Saturna's commander's resolve wilted. All she could think about was Prince Kael'thas and how she'd ruined everything.

"Excuse me Mistress Whiteblade, but you'll have to move."

Saturna startled to see General Blaize standing right over her. "Oh… I'm sorry." She began to get up. "By the Sun! I'm such an idiot…"

General Blaize placed a kind hand on her shoulder. "Saturna… I'm joking. I _was_ going to say something like 'you're distracting my troops', but that's all ruined now." His kind eyes met hers. "No… there's something very wrong, isn't there? What happened?"

General Blaize gave her a sad smile and sat down too. Then, he rested his elbows on his knees imitating her. It made Saturna laugh. "I just made a fool of myself that's all. I did something very stupid last night."

"Oh, I see. So then your date with the Prince did not go very well, I take it?" He glanced over at his commanders who took up with guiding the soldiers in exercises. It reminded Saturna of the way a mother always minded her little children.

"I… well, you see…" she blushed.

"You don't have to share it. Perhaps it isn't appropriate for me to know?"

"But I want you to know!" Saturna blurt out. "I haven't got anyone to talk to, and I pretty much embarrassed myself in front of my own soldiers. I wasn't supposed to confide in them like that last night." She started to panic.

General Blaize stole another glance at his army and then lowered his voice. "Saturna, forgive me for asking, but how old are you?"

Saturna hesitated then said, "Twenty. That is, I'll be twenty this year."

"What! How could they train someone so young…"

"Lady Liadrin was impressed with my skill when I enlisted years ago… she warned me to never tell anyone else, but what does any of that matter now? Maybe she was wrong to put so much faith in me. I wasn't meant to lead soldiers!"

General Blaize seemed very angry for some reason, but then that faded. "You are wise far beyond your years… but that really shouldn't surprise me I guess. War does that to people. However, it does confirm my suspicions about you." He looked at her. "You're new to all this, aren't you?"

"No… I've been fighting for my people since the day Silvermoon fell, and I've been in numerous battles, and even went into the heart of Naxxramas on a raid—"

General Blaize shook his head. "No, I meant to love… to having a relationship with a man." His demeanor grew very gentle. "You don't know whom to date or when, whom to confide in or why… you manage everything else so well, it truly surprised me when you asked for relationship advice just now. That is why I inquired about your age. It seems to me that… the woman you normally pretend to be, someone in their late twenties, would never ask another man whether or not her date with someone else went well."

Saturna did not understand what he meant. She sniffled and tried to explain further. "When Silvermoon City was nearly destroyed, I mourned for what was lost. As you correctly observed last night, my courtly dreams as a noble lady were shattered… but I think that rededicating myself to Prince Kael'thas as a Bloodknight was a dangerous way to deal with the pain… maybe he is right and I _am_ obsessed… an overgrown fangirl, not willing to let go of the past."

Kael'thas' General inched in closer to Saturna. It was clear that he wanted to comfort her but was conscious of all the other soldiers present.

"You know, when Silvermoon fell, I chose to do something equally dangerous." He smiled. "I followed a certain royal person to the front lines of Grand Marshal Garithos' war, and then to meet an uncertain destiny beyond even Azeroth. And I hear your Bloodknight Pyorin ran off to Undermine to run card games for the Goblins. That is hands down the worst Blood Elf recovery story I've ever heard." He started laughing.

"How do you know about that?"

"It's kind of on a running mental list of things I need to speak to you about. The amount of gold he's gleaning from my soldiers is monstrous… but we're not talking about that right now. We're talking about you." He spoke to her intimately, as if they were already close friends. "Saturna, we all did things we weren't proud of after the war, to escape being so depressed. Don't be hard on yourself. What you do now is most important."

Saturna had not thought about it that way. "Thank you General Blaize."

"You're most welcome. As I always tell my soldiers, 'You aren't going home, because you're already home. Now fight like it.'" He got up to leave.

"Wait!" Saturna pulled on his arm. The amused look General Blaize gave made Saturna conscious that she was showing her age again. "I have another problem… Kael'thas asked me to become his champion, but I said no. He won't listen to me though… what do I do?"

General Blaize was clearly unsure of how to respond. "That… is an honor. Isn't it, Saturna?"

He was testing her, but Saturna did not know what the right answer was. She was starting to wonder whose side General Blaize was on, hers or their Prince's.

"As usual, you have good military instincts about you…" he went on, "I have seen Prince Kael'thas act sort of… well, you see, he doesn't realize how selfish he can get. It's cruel really." General Blaize saw Saturna's reaction and amended his statement immediately. "He acts for the good of his people, always, but it causes him to be over zealous sometimes. I think it would be in your best interest to speak to those champions who came before you… it wouldn't be right of me to assume what Prince Kael'thas' intentions are, though I have an idea. But I think that, commander to commander, and gentleman to lady… I had better do you this favor at least."

"This is a warning of some kind, isn't it?"

General Blaize unlatched a tiny silver key from his belt and placed it in Saturna's hands. "Go into the dungeon and ask the Demon guards to show you to the Prince's latest champions. The key is mine and they will recognize it."

Saturna's eyebrows raised. "Are all of the champions he ever had in the dungeon! How horrible!"

"There were only three, Saturna… three at once. But I think I'll let those ladies explain that to you." His voice gained a cold edge to it. "You may thank me later." Then he walked away.

Saturna turned the dungeon key over and over in her hand. Would she go? Suddenly she became angry. It was her right to know what happened to those before her, and what kind of person was Prince Kael'thas, to keep that sort of thing a secret?

General Blaize saluted Saturna as she raced by in an angry huff. He watched her hips sway as she went, but it was so quick one couldn't really deem it ungentlemanly.

"All due respect, General, but I think Mistress Whiteblade is distracting you too, Sir."

General Blaize turned on the young man who'd said it. "I'm not even going to qualify that statement with a response, Private! Ten laps around the Black Temple! Now!" He shouted, and became a savage general again.

The young Sunfury soldier shrugged and set off jogging immediately. "Maybe that was out of line, but it was worth it!" he called over his shoulder.

"Make that twenty laps!" General Blaize yelled after. Then he turned to the other Sunfury standing in perfect files. "What are all you pansies looking at? You are dismissed!"

Afterward, though, General Blaize thought of Saturna and the soldier's accurate observation. He couldn't help smiling.


	9. Black Temple: 999 out of 1000 Exalted

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Nine: Black Temple: 999/1000 Exalted**

Two fearsome Fel Orcs in jagged black plate armor guarded the dungeon. They raised pikes to strike Saturna as soon as they saw her, without asking any questions first. The woman's heart leapt into her throat as she lifted General Blaize's silver key. The two red Orcs saluted and backed down instantly.

Saturna took a moment to recover and then said, "General Blaize asks that you take me to Kael'thas' champions... please."

Both guards shared a look over metal helmets that covered only the lower halves of their faces. "This way, Mistress Whiteblade." one of them said and began to lead her. It disturbed the woman to learn that they knew who she was but were not under orders to withold force from a personal friend of Prince Kael'thas. When she passed through the entrance, the second gaurd followed close behind at her back. They went through a series of barred gates within the first few feet. Then finally, a slightly larger room was flanked by Fel Orc guards holding various terrifying weapons. A gruff salute was made in Orcish and two fresh guards ran–not walked–to replace Saturna's escorts at the entrance.

Saturna had seen prisons before, fought in the Black Rock Depths where cells were hewn out of the cold mountain rock. Prisoners there stared up from what were little more than shallow graves in the walls and floor. They wept and pleaded with anyone who passed by to have mercy and deliver them...

But what disturbed the Bloodknight about the dungeon Lord Illidan had installed beneath the Black Temple was that the gaunt prisoners, who looked just as grievous, said nothing at all. They hadn't even the slightest sliver of mortal dignity left, to dare to hope for deliverance. They watched Saturna with dead eyes. You could hear their tortured breathing, see their ribcages expand.

At last, in the darkest most foul pit in that place, the two Fel Orc guards came to a halt. "Wake up! You have a visitor." one banged his long metal pike against the bars. The echo was horrible.

Saturna wondered at the three women who stirred within the dark cell. "If you would leave us... I want to speak with them alone."

The guards looked at each other again, sharing some kind of secret. "It's a foolish thing to do." one said.

Saturna drew her corrupted Ashbringer. "Thank you for the concern, but I am a Bloodknight. I can always hold my own."

The Fel Orcs said shook their heads and left.

Jacinta, a brunette, addressed Saturna first. "You aren't a Sunfury... hey look, Lianna! It's Kael'thas' new love toy." she smiled spitefully at Saturna. Thera, a redhead, joined her.

Lianna lay with her back to Saturna, on a bench chained to the far wall. She raised a bony finger and began scratching at the grime on the stone she faced.

"I am Mistress Saturna Whiteblade." Saturna straightened. "I am not some–"

"Yes you are." Lianna said, her voice nearly inaudible. Jacinta and Thera looked over their shoulders at their leader and then returned amused gazes to Saturna through the bars.

"Blonde like you, Lianna... but a younger version." Jacinta observed.

"So like him!" Thera grabbed the dirty cell bars in both hands. Her nails were painted red.

Saturna focused on the red nails. "You just painted those... but how did you even get nail polish down here?"

"We have friends." Thera smiled at Saturna. "Before you came along, we were Kael'thas' intelligence officers."

"But, clearly he punished you."

"Our contacts sympathize with us, still. They aren't afraid to go against Kael'thas, and his misguided judgment. We can get whatever we want."

Saturna noticed how large their eyes appeared then. Both of the women were abusing arcane crystals, even in here. They weren't boasting about the loyalty of their contacts.

"That's wrong. How can you be loyal to Prince Kael'thas but also sit here and plot against him—"

"What's wrong and what's right, Saturna?" Lianna piped up from where she lay, playing with the wall. "We did a very good job; I wouldn't call that plotting against him. We went and found out everything that Kael'thas wanted to know. We celebrated with him, got low with him, got high with him..." she paused, clearly enjoying the memory of it. "And one night," she laughed, "we all got naked with him."

Saturna took a step closer to the bars. "What do you mean… he would never do something like that—"

"I was on top of him." Jacinta smiled. There were dark rings around her eyes. "Lianna stroked his back and Thera danced… we are very good at taking turns. Almost like sisters…"

Saturna had to look away for a moment. "But, that was when he was high. Kael'thas wouldn't do something like that now."

All three prisoners froze.

Lianna turned from the wall. "What did you just say?" Saturna kept her mouth shut, though she knew it was too late. "You… he doesn't use the crystals anymore?" Lianna grabbed the bars. "Did you make him? Did you?" She screamed at the end, and swatted an arm through the bars. Saturna didn't expect the woman to penetrate the barrier so skillfully… or aim so well.

Saturna held her cheek, where Lianna's red painted nails drew blood.

"You stupid bitch! Why would you do something like that?" Lianna shouted at the Bloodknight.

Saturna drew her sword. "How dare you—"

"Why would you go against Lord Illidan's wishes? You are a fool! He wanted Kael'thas that way. If not, he would have said something against it… he will find out soon, and then the Sun help us all!"

Saturna stood alert, holding the corrupted Ashbringer between herself and the bars. She looked at the blonde Lianna. They were about the same height, the same build… and there was a scratch along her cheek as well. Clearly the women were sometimes at odds in the dark cell and fought each other. Were there really bars dividing her fate from the rogue's? Or a mirror…

"He could have killed himself, the way Kael'thas was using! Is that what you wanted? Is that what Lord Illidan wants, to murder his own ally… I don't think so!"

"We were his champions… we know better than you." Thera recalled mournfully.

"What else did he have you do, as his champions?" Saturna recoiled.

The three sickly women looked at each other. "He asked us for very little." Jacinta spoke for them all when Lianna only glared at the Bloodknight. "So we took matters into our own hands. There were Sunfury who spoke against him, so we punished them in his name. And then the Scryer leaders still lived in Shatthrath City, an aberration of the true Sunfury, of true Blood Elves still loyal to Kael'thas."

"We did murder." Lianna pushed her face against the bars. The black grime on the iron smeared against her pale skin but she didn't care.

"Then, we flew away." Thera smiled and waggled her hand about in the air, as if it were a bird.

Saturna thought the women were truly mad, speaking in riddles, and then, "You are the reason for the attack… the Scryer forces that ambushed me and my men at the gates of the Black Temple two months ago were retaliating because of you three? I thought we were the ones at fault, bringing danger along with us into Shadowmoon Valley… why didn't Kael'thas tell me?"

"Because he wanted you." Lianna answered. "He is selfish and cruel. All the better for you to feel guilty for _his_ wrong. All the better for you to clean up _his_ mess… all the better for him to seduce you, to have you and throw you away when you cease to be of use, Saturna Whiteblade!"

"That is not the Kael'thas I know." Her enormous sword clattered gently as her arms grew tired and trembled.

"What do you know? What do you care? A scared little girl, that's what you are. We can tell… how old are you, Mistress Whiteblade? You are so very naïve."

"My Kael'thas did not lie to me! He refused to use me like that, even when I offered… he is a good man, a respectable man… perhaps he was being political when he turned me down, and _I_ in the wrong. But he is the Prince of Quel'thalas. He must mind himself, always. There are people who would abuse his power and influence."

"Pretty speech. Did you figure this out all by yourself, or did the Prince have to spell it out for you while you lay prostrate in his bed, begging him to make you Queen?" Lianna spat back at her.

Saturna finally lowered her sword. She shuddered. "How can you know all these things about me? Are you witches?"

The three women behind bars laughed cruelly. "No." Lianna answered. "We were Kael'thas' champions. Now we are little more than corpses. The arcane crystals help our mood, but they can't prolong our existence forever. One of these days…" her eyes wandered. "Perhaps very soon, life will become too painful down here, and we will simply give up and die."

"Oh! Tell her future next, Lianna." Thera grabbed their leader's arm, eyes wild.

Blonde Lianna pressed her whole body against the bars. She'd become so thin, Saturna feared the woman might be able to slip through them.

"You, Saturna Whiteblade are weak. We've heard the news, about Paladins coming to the Black Temple. But even you can't save Kael'thas. One cannot rescue a man from himself. Too much has already happened, and you can't change the past. Furthermore, it would be dangerous to unravel his way of surviving it."

"We are Bloodknights—"

"You are the same! You are the spawn of Uther the Lightbringer, just like Arthas, the same as the rest of the Alliance, those betrayers! You are called to slay the Undead, to murder Demons... to use the Light to cleanse evil from this world. But can you cleanse our Prince? I think not. Beyond that, you have the capacity for great evil… just like the Deathknight who killed his own father, and lay waste to the country of his friend for personal ambition. As I said, you are weak. You will fail whatever silly mission you came here from Silvermoon for."

Saturna had heard enough. "Your lack of faith in the leader of our people, the reason for our very survival is disgusting. I won't hear any more." She began to leave.

"No, you won't listen!" Lianna teased as Saturna walked into the corridor to join the Fel Orc guards. "You think that because you are a Paladin, you won't end up like us. But Kael'thas will not be able to live up to your high standards forever. He's a villain. Kael'thas is selfish and cruel, just like Lady Vashj, just like Lord Illidan... he isn't with them, but one of them. It makes him a strong leader, to survive walking alongside such evil hearts. Therefore, if you wish to remain faithful and serve him, you will have to darken your heart as well. When he calls you to become his champion, his mistress, because he wants to possess you, in order to nurse his hurt… you will answer the Prince just as we did." Lianna's laughing echoed down the hallway. "But that is only the beginning of the end… The end of Saturna Whiteblade and her precious morals!"

Lianna said more, but it was drowned out by the sound of slamming iron gates.

Later that afternoon, in the East wing of the Black Temple, Mavia the Maneater smiled at Pyorin. The tank felt a cold chill race up his spine. "Your friend belongs to me now."

The Dreadlord who served as the card dealer shuffled the cards expertly, without having to watch his hands. When he was done, two stacks of Darkmoon Faire cards remained. Pyorin reached for his deck, which emanated a strange bright green magic. Mavia's cards were worn, and gave off a purple aura in pulses. The cards looked to have a soul to themselves, as well as being soulbound to their masters.

"How could you lose!" Sunthraze was standing right in front of Pyorin when he got up to leave the table.

"Why am I not surprised that you sneaked back in here, when it was safe. You know, it's your fault that Fennore's been abducted by demons. Not only is Saturna going to kill us, but this has political sabotage written all over it. Prince Kael'thas will be furious to see how we've made relations between the Sunfury and the Demons even worse."

They walked quickly to the door. One should think that Fennore would be crying out for help, panicking at the sight of his friends leaving him behind forever… but they heard him laughing over the excited throng of newly wealthy Demons.

"I bet he won't last through the night! Who wants in?" a Fel Orc shouted. The jingle of gold seemed to tell Fennore's future as accurately as a Far Seer.

Pyorin paused at the door. He slid the top card of his deck around with his thumb and gazed at the succubus Mavia.

"Oh no… Pyorin, I don't like that look in your eye. Let's just leave while we still have our hides in tact."

"Here, take a card, any card."

Sunthraze didn't want to, but Pyorin shoved the deck into the other man's stomach.

"Alright, I have it."

"Now… put a Blessing of Wisdom on me."

Sunthraze didn't want to do this either, but went along with it.

"What's that? You lazy sonofabitch! Don't you carry any Symbols of Kings with you? What am I gonna' do with a five minute buff?"

"But you weren't specific—"

Pyorin shushed Sunthraze. The younger Bloodknight fished a tiny white candle out of his pocket and cast a Greater Blessing of Wisdom.

"Four of Lunacy… am I right?" Pyorin asked.

Sunthraze gave him a concerned look and then glanced at the card. "By the Sun! How did you do that?"

Pyorin grabbed Sunthraze's arm. "It's something this Gnome mage helped me figure out while I was in Undermine, and both of us in dire straights. We made a lot of money off of it before the Trade Princes discreetly asked me to stop, and when I mean discreetly, I mean they wanted to break my thumbs, but I bribed them to look the other way. So… you're not going to tell anyone what I just did, right?"

Sunthraze shook his head. "But, I have to know, Pyorin. How does that work? You're acting as if you can read my mind."

"It's cheating, is what it is. Playing Darkmoon Faire cards is all about getting your deck to do what you want. That's why people without their own cards always lose. My deck is soulbound… if I can figure out the logic of it, then I can make the cards work for me."

"But then Mavia will break your thumbs or worse." They arrived at the table again.

Pyorin whispered. "How do you think she beat me? I couldn't figure out her system of cheating fast enough… but maybe this will work, since she isn't a Bloodknight."

Mavia was playing with Fennore's long hair, when Pyorin tapped her on the shoulder. The other two succubii latched onto the ex-priest possessively. One lay a head on Fennore's chest.

"What? Back so soon? Perhaps you want to gamble away your dignity as well."

Pyorin forced a smile at her comment. "Good one… actually I deserved that, Mavia. But, I came over to play one last game, winner takes all."

Mavia was already shaking her head, but then the tank added, "If you win… you can have Sunthraze."

"WHAT!"

"…and you can have me. I don't think you can really beat that."

Mavia left off toying with the nervous Fennore and stood very close to Pyorin.

"You _are_ handsome, I wouldn't mind. Though your friend is too yellow-livered for me." She snarled at Sunthraze.

"Do you really want to fight over Fennore with your two friends all night long? That really doesn't sound like much fun." Pyorin thought quickly.

Mavia reversed her whip with a deft flick of her wrists and then pressed the butt of it into Pyorin's cheek, as if she was inspecting him. "What if you win?"

"I want my friend back. And I want your share of the winnings."

Mavia didn't like this. "You're insolent! I am going to win you know. And then I my friends will show you the true meaning of pain, so you will never meddle with a Demon again. I tire of this. Dar'zud!" The Dreadlord still standing at the card table nodded. "Deal!"

Before they sat down, Pyorin held Sunthraze's hand still. "No, don't give me that card back. Just keep it… they're connected, like your blessings are connected to you. Just tell me what cards of mine she gets in her hand… err… think it, and I'll get it through the buff."

Sunthraze angrily folded his arms across his chest. "Fine, but I'm going to kick your ass if I become demon dinner."

Across the table, one of Mavia's friends snarled at Fennore, and he shuddered.

Mavia held five cards in her hand. Three smoked green and were Pyorin's. The other two were purple.

_Two of Beasts, Five of Blessings, Ace of Vengeance…_

"Dar'zud, I forfeit these two."

The dreadlord Dar'zud nodded and swept up the two green cards Mavia placed on the table.

Pyorin hid his smile. _Good work, Sunthraze, keep it up. _He boasted in his head. _Those were clearly the Two and the Five…the lowest cards._

Mavia gained two more green cards. Sunthraze let out a low whistle and had to walk away from the table. Pyorin grimaced and tried not to gauge his friend's reaction.

"Your friend has a weak stomach. Or else… he's a mind reader." Mavia observed.

Pyorin laughed it off eagerly, hoping that she meant it as a joke. Then, Pyorin watched her do something strange… as she rearranged the cards in her hand, she flipped them over. Since suits were written on the top and bottom of the cards it should not have mattered… but she was definitely doing it for a reason. But why?

_I don't like this Pyorin… Ace of Wrath, Ace of Crusade. I don't know how she's doing it._

Sunthraze couldn't hear Pyorin's thoughts, but the tank spoke it aloud in his mind anyway. _Doesn't matter. I think I know what she's doing…_

Pyorin tossed out one of Mavia's purple cards. "Hit me."

Dar'zud sent a purple card flying at the Bloodknight. It moaned in agony when Pyorin put it with the others.

Mavia eyed Pyorin over the top of her cards. "My hand is better than yours. I would fold if I were you."

Pyorin narrowed his long black eyebrows. "I was about to tell you the same thing."

_Pyorin, your hand sucks!_

Pyorin straightened in his seat and set his jaw tight.

_I hope you know what you're doing… she's got all aces. I don't know what the other two purple ones are. I can't see them._

Pyorin hoped Mavia would get rid of her two last soulbound cards…

"I'm ready, Bloodknight." She spread her cards, face down on the table. She began to turn them over, one by one.

"Ace of Wrath." She licked her lips. "Ace of Crusade. Ace of Vengeance." Her fingers hovered over the last two purple cards. "Now, what have you got?"

Pyorin was about to put show his own cards when Sunthraze reached out and grabbed the tank's hand.

"Hey! You can't seduce him here… unless you're willing to let Pyorin exorcise you!"

Mavia snarled at Sunthraze.

"Was she seducing me?" Pyorin asked aloud.

Mavia was about to object when Fennore spoke up. "Oh yes. I know what succubus seduction feels like. Another non-linear magic, with its axis in the netherworld… I'm getting goosebumps way over here."

All the Demons and Fel Orcs assembled stared at the pale Fennore. "I'm a paladin. I study these things." He tried to shrug it off. A demonness nearby him cracked a whip over his backside.

"Thank you, Tatyiana." Mavia growled at the whimpering Fennore. "I apologize, Pyorin. It's hard not to seduce people regularly… it's like breathing to me, as a succubus—"

"I'm sure your cheating didn't affect the game very much." Pyorin said quickly. "Now, you were going to finish showing your cards? For some strange reason, I felt compelled to reveal mine before you were even done. How silly!"

_Pyorin! She was clearly cheating! You're going to let her get away with it?_

Pyorin flashed Sunthraze an 'I know what I'm doing, so shut up' look.

Mavia hesitated. "But, don't you want to show me what you have?"

"You have two more to go… and I'm not revealing my hand so that you can flip your last two soulbound cards and switch them with two I have… I'm not an idiot, Mavia."

Mavia stood. "You imbecile! Have you no honor, how DARE you—"

"Show your cards at my table!" The dreadlord Dar'zud snarled at Mavia. Mavia went pale. Clearly, even the Card Mistress answered to someone.

When she wouldn't, Dar'zud reached over and righted her last two cards: a Three of Madness and a Five of Twisting Nether.

Pyorin clucked his tongue. "It is truly a shame… that you stole my Ace early on in the game, and were caught before you could take my other cards." He spread out his five glowing purple cards.

An Ace of Twisting Nether, an Ace of Maelstrom, and Ace of Blue Dragons faced everyone in the room.

"I only need one card higher than either of your last two, and I win, Mavia." Pyorin warned.

"I know how the game is played!"

Pyorin reached down and turned over a Three of Heroism, and an Eight of Madness. He'd won Fennore back, but just barely.

Mavia crossed her arms over her chest, disappointed. "How did you find me out?"

"It was hard to convince myself that cards weren't disappearing from my hand on their own, especially with the nice mental images you kept sending me." He walked through the stymied Fel Orcs and Demons and got a hold of Fennore. "Thankfully, I don't normally fantasize about women Demons so when my—" Pyorin realized that he was about to reveal that Sunthraze had been connected to his mind at the time and thought the mental warning mere moments before physically stopping his friend short of giving away the game. "My common sense kicked in, I knew you were up to something."

There was a lot of complaining going on around him, as the monstrous onlookers gave up their gold. Dar'zud, almost as shrewd as the Naga, had it counted and redistributed quickly. "You are a lucky man, Bloodknight Pyorin. Everyone felt it was a sure thing that you would lose… not a soul here bet against Mavia. Your share is nineteen thousand gold pieces."

Both Fennore and Sunthraze gasped.

"I'd run home before any of them catch you and slit your throat for it." The Dreadlord smiled, cleared the table and walked away.

The three Bloodknights left the East Wing. Many glowing red eyes glared at them as they went, but it didn't intimidate them. As one might expect, it made the going easier.

"Now that this is done for Prince Kael'thas, I am never ever going to go back there—" Pyorin grabbed both sides of his head and fell to his knees mid-sentence. His friends stooped to help him out in the Main Causeway.

"Pyorin! What's wrong?" Fennore worried.

"Mavia the Maneater just sent me a painful warning… of what she is going to do to me if I don't come back to visit."

"What?" Sunthraze's bright orange eyebrows rose. "If you _don't_ come back? Embarrassing her in front of all those others was some kind of turn on?"

Pyorin cringed. "It would seem… that I'm still screwed afterall. At least if I'd lost, I would only have a mistress until Mavia tired of me. It looks like I might have a girlfriend, because I won." He lowered his voice, mortified at the revelation. "And then she and her friends… I have a whole horde of girlfriends in there now."

"That is so unfair!" Fennore shouted, then flushed at his outburst.

"Hell, you can have her!" Pyorin panicked and began to walk quickly. "By the way, Sunthraze, you owe me two thousand gold."

Sunthraze balked at this. "There's the one thousand you tricked me out of this morning, and another thousand that I am going to get out of our room to make up the rest of our debt to the Naga."

"Wait! Does this mean we're actually going to complete Prince Kael'thas' task?" Fennore looked up through the ruined stone ceiling many stories above them. One could see the green sky bruising with red sunset. "Oh, I forgot about the Sunfury. I suppose that's just too bad then."

Sunthraze glared at both his friends. "I should think that cheering them up after we buy all those crystals would be obvious enough… I mean really, if you can't put two and two together…"

That evening, the four Bloodknights started at the shouts of Sunfury guards who saluted Prince Kael'thas as he entered the golden lesser shrine. Their reception of him was not as amazing as when he conjured the phoenix. For one, Kael'thas was dressed casually—as casually as the heir to a thousand-year old, exceedingly wealthy royal house can get—in a blue cape and simple linen trousers and shirt. Secondly, Saturna did not seem enticed by this new look at all. She wore a dark expression that her underlings knew better than to bother her about.

"Good Evening, gentlemen. Not that the Prince of Quel'thalas ever apologizes for being late to his own meetings, but I think it's fair you know what kept me after you've no doubt been scrambling all day." He pulled off excellent blue gloves that matched the silver embroidered cloak perfectly. "I went riding."

Sunthraze squinted an eye. "We were out there, risking our lives and you went _riding._ How do you even have time for something like that?"

Kael'thas waited for Saturna to rebuke Sunthraze the Sly. She did not.

"Well… I suppose that when you have a roaring phoenix as your flying mount, you make time to ride. It's a damn good time, and I already feel the weight of this day falling off my shoulders. I think I'm going to feel even better after you all report. The rumors of success have already reached my ears." He smiled and folded his hands behind his back.

"Bloodknights, report!" Saturna snapped to attention and saluted Kael'thas mechanically. Her eyes were vacant.

Sunthraze went first. "Bloodknight Sunthraze reporting for duty, My Prince! All the arcane crystals have been purchased from the Naga camp."

Kael'thas seemed intrigued by this. An impish smile grew on his face. "Really? And they didn't ask you any questions?"

"No, Your Majesty! It's hard to turn down twenty thousand gold, sir!"

Kael'thas let out a low whistle. "Well, someone here is independently wealthy."

"Bloodknight Pyorin reporting for duty, My Prince! The Demons think very well of me now, and I hand over to you their allegiance."

Kael'thas waited for him to explain, and Pyorin's bulging shoulders sank. "I'm a tank, sir. All I can say is… I took them all on at once and they folded."

Kael'thas Sunstrider shook his head. "Not from what I hear. Did you really gamble with my honor, to save your friend from being abducted by demonesses? Seducing a succubus is certainly not the way I would have gone about befriending the Demons, but it worked. Normally, showing dominance before any demon can win their respect, and succubii are the most susceptible to that rule. Even novice warlocks get succubus pets to illustrate that relationship, you see. I suppose that Bloodknights are capable of mastering a few tricks of the trade as well. Oh, and I never would have guessed that you were a card shark, Pyorin. Perhaps we should play sometime."

Pyorin frantically convinced Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider that it would not be a good idea, even after he insisted that he was familiar with the cards. "If you don't have a soulbound deck, you're sure to lose… please don't make me explain how I make my living." He begged. "I'm in enough trouble as it is." 

Kael'thas laughed heartily at that. "And Fennore… we'll need to find a nickname for you yet. Though I find it highly unwise to give all those arcane crystals Sunthraze purchased from the Naga with Pyorin's Demon money to the Sunfury troops… I can't really fault you for it, seeing how you cleansed them all of the afteraffects when the impromptu rave was over."

Fennore winked at Sunthraze and then smiled. "I had help with the idea, but it surely would have blown up in our faces if I hadn't gone and healed everyone afterwards… I sense you would have been very opposed to their indulging in addiction."

Kael'thas looked very pleased. "I am impressed gentlemen. You exceeded my expectations, and didn't bloody one nose in the process. Your commander was right to speak so highly of you…" he glanced at Saturna, but she avoided his eyes. "Therefore, I'd like to offer you positions as my new intelligence officers. You can represent the factions you recently befriended, if you wish."

Fennore started asking Pyorin if they could switch, but Saturna spoke up then, cutting them off.

"If you're quite through with my men, I have the answer you want."

Kael'thas tensed, but managed to look Saturna in the eye. "Bloodknights, I asked your commander to become my champion. It is truly a great honor, and with the four of you close under wing, it is going to make things much easier here in the Black Temple. We are about to do a great deal of good for the Sin'dorei people, even here in Outland. You see, I'm planning to—"

"No." Saturna shook her head. "No, I don't want to be your champion. The office has been tainted… I couldn't possibly accept. I could never accept."

"Saturna!" Kael'thas motioned her over so that they could speak privately. After they'd walked off a ways, he exploded at her. "What did I tell you last night? Why are you doing this!"

"Why did you lie to me about the Scryer attack! You let me and my men think it was our fault."

"That's nonsense! It was settled anyway, so there was no reason—"

"And that left us feeling so guilty that we'd put you in an awkward position, so when you asked Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore to do those ridiculous favors for you, they assented. And within twenty four hours of getting them in on it, you tried to rope me into it another favor too, at my most vulnerable moment."

"That is ridiculous! Why would you think that of me, I'm not some kind of… Look! I am the Prince of Quel'thalas! I don't need to fool people into helping me. Have you no honor whatsoever?"

"I'm not an idiot!" Saturna started yelling at him. "You didn't tell me about your previous champions for a reason… you slept with them and then asked them to do horrible things. But I _wanted_ to sleep with you, that is why you rejected me. And now you hold it over my head, like bait. If only I'll become your champion, then I can be your mistress… is that what you're thinking!" 

"Saturna, what is wrong with you? I acted and spoke honestly… I can't account for when I was abusing the arcane crystals, but you are the one who helped me to get clean, remember? You are the one who inspired me to change."

"That's what you want me to believe! I'm going to end up in the dungeon with the others, won't I? That disgusting orgy… are you looking for a fourth? Is that it, you pervert?"

Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore looked from Saturna to Kael'thas, wide eyed.

The two became conscious of the other people in the room then. Kael'thas paced in a circle and then came back to her. His face was red. "You are dismissed. Saturna!" he shouted at her when she turned her back on him. "You stay."

The three men bowed and left.

"I only spoke to you hours ago and you seemed like my most loyal subject." He pleaded with her. "Who turned your heart against me? Someone surely set to work on you fast since last night."

"No one! General Blaize is a gentleman. He was looking out for my best interest, and encouraged me to speak with your champions first, before accepting. I can't believe that you, the Prince of Quel'thalas did not offer me the same opportunity… though now I see why."

Kael'thas took a step back. He shook his head, and started laughing. "A gentleman, is he? I see what is going on here. Surely, Lianna didn't tell you that I was a pervert. I made a terrible mistake with her. She was obsessed with me, Saturna, as are you. Lianna would never look on what we did with disgust, though in truth, it was disgusting. That is all I'm going to say on the subject. But as far as who is a gentleman and who isn't… I didn't start that argument. General Blaize did."

Kael'thas waited for Saturna to think about his words.

"Saturna, you are a treasure. A woman like you is rare enough in the world, and for you to come here, to the Black Temple…" he cleared his throat. "I suppose I can't have this conversation with you, and stay neutral or professional." He sighed. "You are beautiful. But, as I explained, I can't have you Saturna. This isn't some kind of game I'm playing. I have a terrible history with women. Meeting Lianna and the others should have convinced you of this. We just can't cross that line if any of my efforts here with Lord Illidan are going to be worth the sacrifice I made." Saturna looked at him, startled, but he wouldn't explain. "As my General and someone in a place inferior to mine, Blaize did the proper thing and waited to see what I would do first. But when he saw how, after months, I hesitated to make a commitment to you one way or another, he reacted as would a man." He met Saturna's eyes. "This is me, stepping aside."

Kael'thas moved away from her a few paces, to make his point.

"I don't understand?"

His voice came out gentle. Kael'thas was very good at hiding his emotions. Someone in his position had to be. For that reason, it wasn't until he walked her to the door and opened it that Saturna understood the Prince was sad.

"This is not about me… maybe in the past it was, but you helped me beyond that way of thinking. I want to do things the right way, be positive and selfless like in Dalaran… I frightened away my own soldiers by considering only myself before. Saturna, please go and be adored by him. I can't… I just can't give that to you. It's too dangerous. I want you to be happy."

Saturna stood in the doorway, a long time, considering him. "Everyone I spoke to while I was wrestling with the decision to become your champion… said you were cruel and selfish." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know why they think that." She leaned up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

Kael'thas received the affection woodenly. "Yes you do. You fully believed them until now, called the office of champion corrupt." He laughed in spite of himself. "And I only did the very best that I could… these are the results." He swept his hand out over them all, indicating the entire Black Temple.

Saturna grabbed hold of his sleeve. "You are still the sun in my sky. I meant that. I do want to be your champion… but I want you to let me earn it. It would be the greatest praise of my life. I cannot accept it, if all you want from me is mere silence. Will you please let the offer stand, until you trust me enough--with your life and all that it means—for however long it takes?" Saturna blinked back tears. "It is breaking my heart to see you like this, so alone. You deserve much more."

"… said the demon to his master. Or, was that what I said to Lord Illidan when he asked me to come with him to Outland? Saturna, I think the role you want in my life is already filled. Please don't ask me to make a place for you again. You can't have two men in your life… or… perhaps that would make three. Whatever." He closed the door on her before she could say anything else. The Sunfury Guards saluted as she passed, but Saturna couldn't shake the feeling that they were so unaffected by Kael'thas' speech. She was greatly disturbed by the Prince, and his capacity for being so cold.


	10. Passive Agression,Rumors at their finest

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Ten: Passive Aggression and Rumors at their Finest**

Perhaps Saturna gave Kael'thas too much credit. His slamming the door in her face a few weeks ago should have been the first indication. But still… she didn't want to believe what Lianna and Blaize said, that Kael'thas was a mean person deep down. And as if her personal experience with him made it hard enough, rumors began going around that Kael'thas wanted her but she spurned him. Supposedly, he was incredibly angry about it, though Saturna had met him a few more times since their argument and he didn't seem upset. The rumors were whispers of a twisted truth. Saturna feared they would become lethal.

The Bloodknight Commander tried not to focus on who was saying what or why… it was unnerving to imagine Demons, Fel Orcs and Naga discussing her love life. But, no matter where she went, Saturna kept hearing one consistent element: Kael'thas was in a horrible mood about being rejected. They said that he was getting worse every day. And how could everyone else be aware of that, except for her? Unless that was the point, and he was hiding it…

_Selfish and cruel…_

"General Blaize, may I have a word with you?"

General Blaize was speaking to a Sunfury carpenter. Efforts were being made to create actual barracks for the soldiers, so that they wouldn't have to sleep in tents scattered all over the courtyard.

General Blaize excused himself, and followed Saturna who was walking quickly.

"Mistress Saturna, you seem alarmed. What's the matter?"

Saturna paced in little circles. Blaize did not know her very well. Sunthraze, Pyorin, or Fennore would be agitated by now, frightened for what she was about to say. "I don't understand what's going on… and again, I am in the position of asking you for relationship advice. But, I trust you, General. I hope you'll be honest with me no matter what."

General Blaize cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Saturna, I really don't think we can keep chatting about you and Kael'thas—"

"He said that you sent me to the dungeon on purpose, to spite him. Is that true? And now people are saying that you are pursuing me… but that doesn't make any sense."

General Blaize was quiet for a little while. Then took a step forward, making the distance between them more intimate. "I want to answer your question, but first you must clarify something for me. Did you truly spurn Prince Kael'thas? That is what they are saying… I don't take much stock in rumors, but this one… this one could change everything."

Saturna shook her head. "It's just a rumor. But it _is_ rooted in truth. I told Kael'thas that I could not be his champion. It wasn't the answer he wanted… though I haven't observed him to be frustrated, if he's angry at all, it would most likely be about that. And," she hesitated with this part. "There is no romance between us. The date I told you about turned out not to be a date… ugh, by the Eternal Sun… I can't believe I misunderstood his intentions. I'm such an idiot."

"No you're not." Blaize's fierce green eyes met hers. He whispered. "The Prince was a fool to reject you… but that's none of my concern." He took a step even closer. Saturna could feel the warmth of his body. "As for your question, yes I did send you to the dungeon because of Kael'thas. But, it was not to spite him. It was for you to understand… that you are better off without him. I could get in a great deal of trouble for saying this, but he isn't good enough for you."

Saturna nervously pushed white hair from before her eyes. "Well, that doesn't exactly make me feel better, you know—" she forced a laugh.

"That is not my intention, to be your friend, a mere shoulder for you to lean on." General Blaize swept back a foot and bowed low into a slow, elegant gesture. "It is… it always has been my intention to court you, Saturna Whiteblade."

Saturna flinched. "I never thought… can you even _do_ that out here? We're in the middle of a war, and what will everyone think… even if you chose to marry me one day down the line, where would we live? And could we even start a family—"

"If you think about the impossibility of it all, this war will just depress you even more. I don't mean to sling any more mud in his direction, but if a certain royal someone used that as his excuse, he was simply lying to you. If there is room for the two of us to be friends, the way we've been, then there is room for two people to enjoy each other, to be lovers, to fall in love…" he looked away briefly. "But, perhaps that is far off into the future. Right now, I just want to take you out on a proper date. Would you indulge me, Saturna?"

Saturna watched, dumbstruck, as General Blaize raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. It felt good, and he was… well now she could allow herself to observe that he was gorgeous. And a general at that…

"Um… sure? I… I really didn't expect this from you."

General Blaize smoothed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Perhaps not but… that was by design. I didn't want to step in where my Prince had laid claim. That is the way it must be among gentlemen." Then, his kindly expression turned fierce, like he was on the battlefield. "But he is not here, now, is he?" he kissed her hand again, then turned to leave.

"I have some favors to call in for our date. I hope you don't mind if we go out tomorrow?"

Saturna worried that he was speaking so loudly. Sunfury soldiers milling about started to stare.

"Ah, sure, alright Blaize." She waved goodbye.

"That's good. Eight o'clock tomorrow night then?" He bowed once more. Saturna kept looking from him to the soldiers. He wasn't speaking to them, but his tone of voice made her feel like they were both on stage. Saturna nodded her yes and hurried off, not wanting to be in the spotlight any longer.

"So she did leave him for Blaize… no wonder the Prince is so angry…" Saturna tried not to listen to the soldiers gossiping about her already. General Blaize was certainly a sweet man, to be so honest about his feelings, but was clearly Kael'thas' general for a reason. The man was a tactician at heart, and a very good one. Saturna realized how at home she was among the Sunfury. These were the same games men used to play back home, at Court.

Now they were saying that the Prince broke things in his room when he found out about Saturna's date. Saturna was reeling from this news when General Blaize knocked on her bedroom door.

"Are you ready, Saturna?" he smiled at her. She brushed another stray lock from before her eyes.

"Blaize… I… maybe we shouldn't be doing this."

He offered her his elbow, which she took out of habit. "If you are worried about a certain royal person, stop it right now. If I did absolutely everything _he_ told me to do, or implied that I should do, I would most likely be dead right now. A man has to have his own mind so that he can watch his own back."

Saturna was afraid to ask what General Blaize meant, about him ending up dead because of Kael'thas. "So then… where are we off to tonight?"

"To the roof, and by the way you look lovely tonight." He chuckled.

Saturna laughed at his joke. Blaize told her to wear something she didn't mind crawling around in. Unfortunately, the Sunfury tailors tended to make the same kinds of garments for everyone. Blaize and Saturna ended up wearing much the same thing, light cloth slacks and standard issue Sunfury red-dyed shirts and of course their weapons. A war was going afterall, invasion imminent.

"You mean, there is actually a solid roof over some obscure section of the Black Temple? What with everything burnt out by demon fires and covered in Orc grafitti? There is such a place?" she teased.

Yes, there was. And when Saturna saw how the miraculously preserved stonework touched the night sky, she vowed that she would never forget it.

General Blaize smiled at her, and held her hand. "I thought you would like it. Now, let me explain what I did to make all of this possible." He led her to the edge of the roof, where some of the white stone soared and twisted off the edge as if it was an actual Elekk's tusk. And there were several of these white polished stones, arranged like an ivory forest. They were better than the real thing, which would have rotted away a long time ago.

"First of all, this place is a lot like Sunsail Anchorage… you know, the hillside across from there with the excellent view of the ocean?" Blaize grinned at her.

"Oh! Did they call it Makeout Beach back when you were a teenager?" Saturna giggled.

Blaize laughed too. "Yes… and I'm not old. You don't have to put it like that. Nor, do you have to worry about your honor at this moment. But, I want you to imagine this place crowded with lovers on an excellent night like this. I had to call in all my favors at once to keep the usuals away." Next, he pointed above them, to the dark green sky. What looked like falling stars were actually Infernals sent by the Legion to harass Lord Illidan. Saturna had found this out the hard way with the guys months ago when they first came to Shadowmoon Valley. They were able to laugh about it later… much later.

"Now, try to pretend that those aren't demons falling at a frightening speed to put us all to a terrible end." Saturna tried it. Blaize pointed to the East. "The Demons and Fel Orcs reside there, with Lord Illidan. The roof there is as black as this one is white. A strange but beautiful counter to the white wonderland we're in now." He guided Saturna over to the southern edge of the roof. "Down below, there, are nothing but broken rocks… but once long ago, everything was as red as this is white, and that was a dazzling obsidian. And to the north, where the gates once were… everything was a sparkling gold. Can you imagine that?"

Saturna had closed her eyes. "Yes. With soaring tusk stones, like arcs of the firmament of every color, piercing the sky above to meet in the middle, like a dome." She opened her eyes to see General Blaize looking on her fondly.

"That is it exactly. Somehow, through all that has happened, the Temple of Kalabor has remained an enchanting beauty. Perhaps all we have left now are black and white, but those beautiful stones challenge the sky above. I think that the fel green night bows to temple, begs it for deliverance, to be made clean again."

Saturna turned, admiring the gracefully curved white stones about them, and the largest one, a great Elekk tusk raising hopeful overhead. The evil night played with the pure white stone, made it appear to glow.

"You speak as if you love this place… you must spend a lot of time up here." She observed of General Blaize.

"Always in the morning, and never with a date." He gave half a smile. Then he walked her around a wall of polished white. A blanket had been spread out, and there was a bottle of champagne, a box of chocolates.

"How did you get a bottle of Suntouched Special Reserve? All the way out here!" she immediately began to open it. General Blaize beamed and sat down to join her.

"Naga. And yes, it was exceedingly expensive. I won't tell you exactly how much, but I know that ladies like to know these things. And the same goes for the chocolate." He offered her one and then they leaned against the white wall, enjoying the view of what they imagined the Temple of Kalabor once was and what it was today, two realities layered ontop of one another. And it was General Blaize who put it together for her. Saturna hugged the chilled bottle of champagne, and looked at him wistfully.

"I like you, very much."

"Good. Now you know how I feel about you." He gazed at her for a moment and leaned in… then seemed to lose his nerve. "Might you hand me that for a bit? I deeply regret that we don't have glasses. I feel like a teenager, sneaking out of my parent's home for a drink."

Saturna started laughing. "Oh! I guess you're right, drinking out of the bottle…it is a bit crude, isn't it? But that's okay." She patted his leg. "It's perfect, Blaize, just wonderful." And she lay her head on his shoulder.

He walked her home very late that night. Saturna was relieved that no spectators were milling about.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Saturna?" General Blaize sounded unsure, though he smiled confidently.

Saturna graced a fingertip along his strong jaw. "Oh yes. Thank you very much. It was nice to go up there and forget…"

"Or remember. We _are_ strong enough to handle all of this you know. And the ones struggling back at Tempest Keep are working miracles for the Sin'dorei. We owe Lord Illidan a debt, but afterward Kael'thas will lead us back…"

Saying the Prince's name now called a shadow over everything.

General Blaize sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well, I am a General, always… I can't stand to hear anyone doubt the Sunfury. It is a thing close to my heart, so forgive me for correcting you. And, respect for you-know-who resides there as well." He smiled sadly.

Now they resorted to not saying his name.

"That was very good champagne." Saturna said then, smiling sweetly.

"My dear… are you drunk?" he laughed at her.

Saturna shrugged. "I have always been a lightweight. But I assure you that I am in my right mind."

General Blaize watched her carefully for a moment. It seemed there was an invisible line he was aware of, knew that he shouldn't cross… then he did. Slowly, intentionally, he leaned in and kissed Saturna. The woman felt light on her feet, and light-headed, but she was sure that she liked it, as she liked General Blaize. Time became immaterial, they were only aware of eachother and the soft feel of flesh over flesh.

When Blaize withdrew he said, breathy, "I'm sorry… it's been too long."

"For me too." Saturna encouraged him. Her hand reached behind her, to the doorknob. She let Blaize in.

"Are you sure?" he shuddered between his kisses, arms still firmly around her waist.

"Yes, please. I'm tired of waiting for everything to be perfect." Saturna wished that it wasn't so obvious whom she was talking about.

General Blaize saw it in her eyes. "Live for the moment Saturna. Our world is so uncertain already… forget about him." He led her over to the bed, and in another flurry of kisses they undressed each other. Finally, he was over her. Saturna pushed both hands up through his long red hair.

"Do you want one last piece of advice from me, regarding Him? Because we are about to become something else… I refuse to let us go back…"

"Yes, please." Saturna wasn't really thinking about his words. She pleaded with him to start, kissed his shoulders and neck…

"Let me make love to you. I swear to you that you will never look at any other man the same way again."

"You're that good?" she teased.

General Blaize gave her a meaningful look. "No, Saturna. I am that serious about you. I am going to give you everything that you ever wanted, I promise. And I want to start right now."

Saturna was expecting something short and passionate. Blaize took his time with her, took the entire night. And it became clear to Saturna that, with every kiss, with every carress, Blaize felt that he'd earned that night, that he'd fought for it.

"Maybe not tonight… but one day, you will say my name." he told Saturna when she sat up and held him in needy arms. He continued to press into her, and kissed her forehead lovingly.

Saturna nearly moaned this, "I can't believe it… We're doing this and I don't even know your name?"

"Nathaniel… Nate Blaize." He put the full force of his body behind the proclamation. He was doing everything in his power to win more nights with her.

Saturna adored Nate Blaize. One night turned into days, and then weeks, until finally another month passed. By then, Saturna had spent four months in the Black Temple. Three she toiled away after Kael'thas Sunstrider. To her, these felt like a waste. But the last, she spent rejoicing with Nathaniel Blaize… he wouldn't let Saturna forget that she was treasured, not for a moment. Everyone spoke about how they were a darling couple, always smiling at each other and laughing together. The Sunfury soldiers, especially, started to say that Saturna and their General made a better match than she and Prince Kael'thas ever would. Coming from his own soldiers it was most likely a show of loyalty and pride in the Blood Elf regiment. But there were still other rumors… that General Blaize was a better man than Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, because he had won the girl. That seemed to come from the Demons and the Naga… though with all the tension in the Black Temple and under the fearful rule of Lord Illidan, one could never be sure exactly where dissatisfaction was coming from, it had so many voices.

Finally, the people in the Black Temple began to say something far more dangerous. That Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider was considering the appointment of a new General.

"Is that rumor true?" General Blaize asked Prince Kael'thas some time later. The Prince grinned at him but said nothing. "All due respect, Your Majesty, but you have no right! No right at all after everything we've fought through together. I rose to the call after the Scryers left… I did everything you ever asked of me!"

Kael'thas leaned back in his chair, watching his General with detached amusement. He folded his hands and then pressed his fingertips together, nearly covering a wry smile.

"Cruel, selfish… and a pervert. Did those very words leave your mouth, General Blaize?"

Kael'thas' general had been outraged out of his chair a long time ago. "I never… that is taken completely out of context. Hasn't a man the right to speak his mind in the Black Temple anymore? And I hope the end of my career is not about this… over a woman! That was nearly two months ago! And if you had a problem with it, why didn't you come to me about it, face to face, like a man!"

"I'm still outraged that you would dare plot against me like that!"

"What are you accusing me of, Prince Kael'thas?" but it wasn't a question. He leaned over the table and looked the other man right in the eyes. "Because if it's treason, you've already sent too many people into the dungeon, or fleeing across Outland to Shattrath City."

"You bastard."

General Blaize stood up straight. He folded his hands behind his back. "I am not at liberty to call you what you just called me. Nor do I have the freedom to ruin a man's life because he wants my girlfriend." General Blaize grimaced. "I envy you, my Prince. You have everything at the world at your disposal. And even when you lost Silvermoon, left Quel'thalas behind… a demon Lord got down on his knees for you, and a woman treks across the nether, to a whole other realm just to be with you. And what do you do? You reject her! You had your chance with Saturna, and you gave it up. You cannot come back now and want it undone… you can't change the past, Kael'thas!"

"Now are you going to call me 'young man', and send me home to my father for punishment?" he laughed spitefully.

"Funny, I didn't expect you to poke fun at my age, of all things. I thought a Bloodmage, and heir to the Thalassian throne, a member of the Kirin Tor would be more mature than that."

Kael'thas stood. "Get out of my sight!" he pointed at the door. "You have shamed me, you flaunt her about the Black Temple, you enjoy making me look like an idiot. If you don't think that is treason, then I think I'll send you back to Tempest Keep, to the astromancers. You need your head checked. It's been too much in the clouds lately."

"Oh, that was soo clever, Kael'thas."

Saturna entered the room then. Both men fell silent.

"Oh! Am I… interrupting something? I came to speak with you, my Prince." She bowed her head slightly.

Kael'thas scowled when he saw her averting flirtatious eyes from General Blaize. The General bowed to the Prince and stole a kiss from Saturna before leaving.

"No, love, you didn't interrupt anything. The Prince and I have nothing more to speak about. It's settled." He looked Kael'thas in the eye and then closed the door gently behind him.

Kael'thas stood in his red robes, flushed with anger. Saturna saluted him, and took what had been General Blaize's seat.

"Well Good Morning!" she smiled up at him. "It's a beautiful day already, isn't it?"

Kael'thas glared at her. "There is a force from Shatthrath City coming this way. How can you be cheerful when they'll be here at the end of the week? And furthermore, you're dating _my_ general, so you can't pretend not to know about it."

Saturna swallowed. "I just meant that… Kael'thas what is going on? Whenever I come in here, we chat about the weather or something nice like that… and you smile at me." Her expression darkened. "Those rumors about you replacing Nate aren't true, are they?"

The Prince stood stock still. He balled his hands into fists.

"Nate?"

"Yes… I guess that's my little nickname for him."

"And you two are in love." He accused.

Saturna tensed. "What? Well, I don't know… Nate says that to me all the time. I think it's just something lovers say. We certainly haven't--"

"Yes you have! I have work to do, I don't sit in here with my ear to the ground gleaning everything, but…" he lowered his voice when he could barely get it out. "Saturna are you sleeping with him? There is a rumor going around that you are screwing my own General!"

Saturna got to her feet immediately. "Yes, but it's not the way you're implying! I am having sex with my _boyfriend_! And he's been my boyfriend for almost a month now. It shouldn't surprise you."

"Well, that was fast. I suppose your little gift to me was just smoke and mirrors." His voice was pained, desperate. "You can't become Queen, so now you're trying to marry the next most powerful man here."

"I adore Nate! He's sweet, and loving… and he's really very funny, a true gentleman. You rejected me, and it was horrible, but I had to move on. Don't I have a right to be happy? You even encouraged me to…" Saturna let that train of thought drop. Her eyes sparked with realization. "You… you were pretending on that day. That is why you slammed the door in my face. What? Did you think you were being valiant, that it would make things easier on you to lie? Chivalry is about believing in those morals, living them with pride. And the rumor about you breaking your furniture, throwing fits… you were being very careful to be mean to everyone but me, weren't you? You still want me, and you can't stand to see me with another man."

"It's not like that… It's just not supposed to be this hard… and everyone has sided with him against me, over you! How am I supposed to feel with those rumors going around? No one respects me, and once again, I've done everything in my power to set things right. It's maddening!"

"You can't just barge back into my life and make demands, Kael'thas! You brought this upon yourself. I am with General Blaize now! Do you really think of me that way, as someone you can just push around, to use to nurse your hurt when it's convenient?" Saturna paced in a circle, gaining the courage to say it… "If that is the case, I think the people are right. Maybe Nate is the better man! He's not manipulative like you are, willing to destroy another person to satisfy his lust. Nor is he a liar… he wouldn't hurt me, the way that you are hurting me right now!"

Kael'thas dragged his fingers through his long blonde hair, seething. "Take that back! I am a good person!" Saturna refused. He insisted, eyes wild. "I am doing everything in my power to keep the Sin'dorei safe, I gave up my entire life for it… I am a hero! I am the Prince of Quel'thalas!" Then Kael'thas turned in anger and shot a fireball at a bookshelf across the room. All the books and papers there burst into flames. The fire caught on the lush red carpet, slowly spread…

Kael'thas stood there, watching the fire grow with an odd smile on his face. Saturna wanted to scream but she was afraid to even speak.

"How dare you make a fool of me, Saturna Whiteblade. I offer you sanctuary and you seduce me. You trick me into thinking that I can just forget about all the pain, and be me again… timid, honest Kael'thas, whom Jaina Proudmore would not even speak to. But what happens when I show kindness, when I humble myself? The Demons laugh at me, and the Naga. My own Sunfury, the soldiers I named place my General before me, like some king because he can have you, the most beautiful woman in the Black Temple, and I cannot. Illidan is right… you can't spare ruthlessness in Outland, or you lose face."

Saturna started to feel lightheaded from the smoke. She stumbled to the door. She coughed and tried the knob. It was too hot. "I came in here to ask you about the invasion. Blaize doesn't share his work with me, out of loyalty to you. And I respected your decision, when you didn't want to be with me, out of loyalty to you." Saturna began shaking her head, in disbelief. "But it doesn't go both ways, does it? Were you playing games with me this entire time, pretending to be valiant, while everyone else suffered your wrath? Are you even capable of being a kind person anymore? Who ARE you, Kael'thas Sunstrider? A man, or a monster?"

She turned to him. The entire room threatened to go up in flame. The blinding blaze made Kael'thas look a demon, shrouded in destruction.

He smiled at her evilly. "I'm your prince. Don't you recognize me?"

That was when Saturna started calling for help. Kael'thas grabbed her wrists and began kissing her feverishly. "You promised me something… where is it? You said anytime, anyplace. Why not give me your gift right here and now, among the flames! I am a Bloodmage afterall." he mocked her. He mocked both of them.

Clearly, the Sunfury on the other side of the door were alarmed to find the knob burning hot too, and it took them some time to assemble and get a ram to break it down.

Saturna pushed Kael'thas away when the door opened. She rushed out after billowing black smoke, coughing. Kael'thas followed, eerily calm. His closest advisor, named Sorn ran to his side.

"Your Majesty, what happened!"

"I don't like this room anymore." He waved a red gloved hand, dismissively. His eyes never left Saturna. "Make a new place for me in the golden shrine." Then, Kael'thas stalked Saturna a few paces down the main causeway before she saw him following and fled.

That night, Saturna realized what might happen if she told her boyfriend about Kael'thas and his true intentions. So, after Blaize loved her, and then asked her what was wrong, she simply lied about being too tired to talk. Though conscious of General Blaize, her Nate, holding her in strong arms, Saturna wrestled with terrifying visions. After hours of restless sleep, a pleasant memory finally found her…

_The cotillion dress was white though the hallway was dark. Dark red, like the inside of Kael'thas chamber… Saturna did not want to think about him now. The characteristic gold-fringed carpet faded, and men in suits appeared. They were dressed well, each had a gentle smile like her Nate, though he was not among them. They bowed graciously as she passed. The throb of a viola filled her mind… the music of the Court of the Sun, of Quel'thalas…_

_This had happened before. Beyond the doors was her first suitor, the one her parents arranged for her. If everything went well, he would be The One. _

Saturna closed eyes within closed eyes. In her dream, she waited with hope, excitement. In true life, her eyes were shut against the terror of her situation. How had she fallen so far, so fast…

_Saturna remembered this part. It was not Kael'thas beyond the door. That was but a silly girlhood desire that she was too young to understand was impetuous. An older gentleman whose wealth her parents welcomed waited for her instead. Then the glass windows of the ballroom would shatter as corpses from the Scourge meatwagons were hurled inside. Ladies in dresses would scream, gentlemen would draw handkerchiefs and cover their mouths. Someone would shout that Prince Arthas had just passed, shouting orders to take the Sunwell…The wailing violas soared now…_

"_No dear, it will be different this time. Another prince is beyond the door…" a voice told her. It hissed softly._

"_No… I don't want him anymore. He isn't the man I thought! And there is more to life. I don't want him to be the sun in my sky any longer, he can't be!"_

_Saturna tried to turn herself around and run from the doors. She would not go in this time. She would forget about her cotillion celebration. She would go and take up a sword right away, try to stop the killing. _

"_But you can marry him now. No one will stop you Bloodknight. Take what is owed to you."_

_The Prince who had lied to her, set his room on fire, tried to destroy her boyfriend…Her Nate was not there, but if she went back down the dark red hallway, to the West where the Sunfury were… would she find his warm arms again? She did not want it to end the way it did before, with her expectations so high, only a common suitor in the room, and a Deathknight marching through the city. The violas became tense, angry. She felt an invisible hand on her elbow, forcing her along, though she struggled. It had claws. But when she turned to see it, it pushed her head back, made her face the door. Saturna opened her mouth in a silent scream._

_The heavy doors flew open. They should have crashed into her, but they passed through her silently. Golden light burst forth._

_He stood there, conjuring. He was larger than life, like that famous statue of a man in Dalaran… they said that the lifelike body was crafted using magic, the features so enormous and perfectly proportional, it could not be made by the hands of a mortal. The golden head graced the ceiling…_

_It was Kael'thas._

_The roar of the city being destroyed outside faded. The Scourge marched backwards. Arthas leaned back over his charger, shouted orders in reverse. He sheathed Frostmourne. The windows didn't break. No stones or burning corpses from meatwagons were hurled inside. _

"_Because the one you want is here…he will save you."_

_He watched her, proud and pure-hearted. This was the vision of him she'd kept all her life. Saturna filled with hope, with joy. His body was golden, every inch of him perfect. He was naked and sweating like the day he conjured the phoenix. The grown woman inside of her saw the erect phallus, wanted the man who was larger than life, greater than her heart or her soul, for he was the soul of Quel'thalas._

"_Go to him…"_

_Saturna went, trembling. But as she approached, time and space itself mended. Kael'thas diminished, the Scourge fell silent. She saw that he was conjuring a phoenix overhead. She thought of the fire he set in his own room, out of anger…but that seemed impossible now. Saturna ran to him, then placed one foot on his thigh, and raised the other, as if she were climbing his limbs like branches on a tree. Finally, she wrapped her thighs around him, and hugged him tight._

"_Please…" she begged of him. "Hold me too. Make love to me, or else I'll fall."_

"_I cannot." Kael'thas' voice was full and echoed. It was distant._

"_Please…" she begged of him again. "I can't do this alone. I have loved you for all of my life. I know that you could not really hurt me. Today… it was an accident, wasn't it?"_

_The Kael'thas who looked and felt like a god nodded at her. "Yes, it was only an accident. But, I fear that I cannot hold IT and you at once." He looked sad._

_Saturna was aware of predatory eyes watching her. It was the hissing voice. It was waiting._

"_I know that you want me more, Kael'thas. I can feel it. Please, let IT go." Saturna was sure of what IT was… she felt the meaning as close to her heart as instinct. But at the same time, she dared not think about IT too much, lest the vision of what she wanted him to destroy frighten her forever, and kept them apart. _

"_Yesss…tell him to disobey IT…"_

_Kael'thas looked up at IT. Saturna watched IT too. A phoenix but not a phoenix. Too spiteful, too old, brooding…Then, Kael'thas let it go. Tears came to their eyes, it was miraculous. Relief washed over them both. IT didn't matter anymore. Kael'thas looked down at her, held her buttocks in firm hands, and pushed inside. Saturna was lost in the feel of him, the rapture of making love to her perfect Prince when IT suddenly came back. The phoenix shrieked, a golden beak filled with flame threatened to rip her head off for making Kael'thas let go…it pitched mid-flight, and came at her fast. Saturna screamed at it, looked to Kael'thas, but he was busy loving her, a pleasant smile on his face. Only she could see the terror, only she knew its name now. IT shrieked with the raging violas, with the pounding of her heart at once. Saturna watched, horrified, outside of herself, as the bird ripped off her head. _

_The hissing voice stood next to her. "Do you see how vulnerable he is to IT? You must protect him no matter what. The fire is not his fault… but you are his Bloodknight. His failure will be your fault." The voice watched with the disembodied Saturna and they watched her bloodied, beheaded trunk and the distracted Kael'thas fall together…_

Saturna woke up screaming.

"Love, what's wrong! I'm here," General Blaize was saying.

Saturna clutched her neck, felt for the stitches… there were none. That was the only thing that calmed her down.

"What's going to happen to us?" She asked Blaize later, in a small voice.

He sighed, still groggy from sleep. "Kael'thas is a dickhead. I'm going to punch him in the face."

He nestled into Saturna's shoulder and fell back asleep. The Bloodknight was torn between protecting her prince, even now, from the man she cared for. And the dream had confused her… was Kael'thas still someone worth protecting?

A golden Adonis she'd wanted to make love to… that Kael'thas couldn't possibly exist. Saturna found herself wanting to believe in him though, through everything, as sleep claimed her. She ignored the guilt that welled in her stomach as the other man lay against her, unaware. The dream had been too real. Perhaps it was a great power guiding her… she could fight IT, she could fight the phoenix that was not a phoenix… but burned absolutely, burned everyone in the Black Temple. For this, Bloodknights had been made.

Lady Vashj opened her eyes in the muted blue darkness.

"It is done, Advisor Sorn. Are you pleased?"

Kael'thas' Advisor went to his knees in the Naga temple instantly. "Lady Vashj! I am eternally grateful… if everyone in the temple learned of Kael'thas burning his own apartments… that woman looked like she would tell. I'm sure the rest of the Sunfury would have fled, and Illidan's wrath renewed."

"Yesss…" she hissed. "Rumors are dangerousss."

Advisor Sorn was still frantic. "Thank the Sun for you and your rare magics. How many nasty rumors have we quelled together? I am glad that you convinced me to bring it all to you first. I can't believe that the public got a hold of so much of it though… Kael'thas breaking his furniture over that woman, competing with his own General over Saturna Whiteblade who rejected him… such perversions of the truth."

Lady Vashj gave Wave Commander Scy'thlerin a cautious look. "But you told me these things actually happened, no?"

Advisor Sorn nodded furiously. "Yes, yes… but some things got by you I think, and were blown out of proportion—"

Lady Vashj clucked her tongue. "It's no matter. My magic can't fix everything, and as a Blood Elf you well know this." It was easy to lie about being behind all the rumors when Advisor Sorn, like many of his race, was already biased against the intelligence of the Naga. But when powerful magic was involved… so many foolish Elves looked the other way when it came to magic. "I have used my Seer to prevent the Bloodknight from ruining your prince. She will not tell anyone about how volatile he truly isss, how ssselfish and cruel."

Path'raxxis the Seer swished his tail idly, standing on a glowing ley line between Lady Vashj and Advisor Sorn. The large Naga's eyes had gone white like the strange dream magic. He hardly breathed.

"Wonderful." Advisor Sorn stood and clapped his hands together. "But do you think you could also do something to convince the Sunfury? It's possible they might have heard already, though I lied to the immediate guard about the problem."

Lady Vashj smiled wickedly. "But oh, that would involve giving the entire army suggestive dreamsss. It would take far too much… unlesss, I went to the root of the problem."

Sorn blanched. "But I couldn't… what if he finds out? Oh, I couldn't do that to my Prince."

The Naga Queen and her Wave Commander shared a sly grin. "Oh, but you have no choice now. I cannot heal one and not the other. Come back and tell me when Kael'thasss is asleep."

Prince Kael'thas' advisor backed away from the Naga slowly. "I… yes, I think I can do that." He went to the door.

"Oh, and Sorn? Bring me a lock of his hair." Lady Vashj reminded him, as if the hardest part of the betrayal were nothing at all. "I'll need it for the dream spell."

Advisor Sorn promised that he would, then bowed and left.

Wave Commander Scy'thlerin slithered in closer to his queen. "Are you sure that Kael'thas will fall in this way, by putting he and the Bloodknight together?"

Lady Vashj picked up her golden mirror, and played with her scaly headdress. "You see what it is already doing to him. The rumorsss worked, mixed in with a good bit of truth, of courssse. Perhapsss he will no longer accept my arcane crystals, but he _will_ have sssomething else. The faster Kael'thas ruins himself, the easier it will be to convince Lord Illidan to assert dominance over the warlock once and for all. Then, finally, I can regain my treasured place by his ssside. I'll not have another Elf stand between me and the one I worship, when the interests of Nazjatar must be represented." She snarled. "I do hate being a third wheel to that damned warlock, after everything I've done for Lord Illidan."

"Hail to Queen Azshara, the great and beautiful." Every Naga in the room said instantly, and bowed. That was the custom Lady Vashj had ordered of them. To honor the once Highborne Queen at the slightest mentioning, the one who first tempted the Legion to Azeroth.

Lady Vashj looked up to the ceiling. "Oh Great and Beautiful One. Your will be done, even beyond the depths of Nazjatar and the Maelstrom. I _will _deliver your people into the fold. Just as soon as I maneuver darling Illidan into place."


	11. A choice between Silvermoon and Master

**My Life for My Prince**

**Episode Eleven: A choice between Silvermoon and the Master**

Lady Vashj resisted giving the golden lock of hair to Path'raxxis the Seer.

"Ssso enchanting, the Blood Elf Prince. I smell the sweat of lust, the ssweet of magic… and there is bitter ash of flame, the pang of brimstone that sears my nose. How is it that he smells of Lord Illidan as well, as if they shared a life and a bed like lovers?"

Path'raxxis the Seer smiled at his Lady's joke. Wave Commander Scy'thlerin laughed too, nervously.

"You, my treasure." She caressed the male Naga's face with a red-painted claw. Path'raxxis purred at her. "Use your ability once again this night. Let's off into his consciousness as if it were but another sea. I will plant a desire there that Kael'thas cannot resist. Everyone knows that his people are his greatest weaknessss. Then he will fall."

Wave Commander Scy'thlerin slithered up beside her. "My Lady, as your general, may I suggest that you take great care manipulating Kael'thas' dream? He is clever, and knows that you have this skill. And beyond that, you know that another man lives in his mind… we cannot afford to upset the Master."

Lady Vashj smiled at Scy'thlerin. "I will hide myself while I tempt him to his doom. And, as with Saturna," she gestured to the burnt lock of white hair on the floor beside Path'raxxis. "I will not call his name."

The Naga woman took the hands of her soothsayer. When the lock of Kael'thas' hair touched his hand, a jolt of white magic erupted between them. One could see it race up the thick vein in Path'raxxis' forearm. Then, he tossed his head back, snarling. When he faced his Lady again, his eyes were white with the powerful magic. Lady Vashj looked on, mesmerized. Her pupils clouded and then went white too.

Now neither of them saw what was, only what minds feared could be.

_The world was white again, and Kael'thas felt cold. He grimaced and covered his bare arms with his hands as he stumbled about. The air was thick and fell in waves all around him. Sometimes it brushed his face and he couldn't breathe. It was like Northrend again…_

"_Arthas right in front of my face, but I can't see him."_

_A low hollow voice joined his. It did not contribute to his thought but echoed it. Kael'thas knew that IT felt heavy, sleepy… he dared not wake IT up._

"_Yes… you were there with me too. We nearly won that day." The Blood Elf Prince came to a wall of the heavy air, and he slid his hands over it to find an opening of some kind. It was like cloth in his hands, cloth with no end. It seemed that he followed it forever and found no hope of ending the nightmare, no reprieve from all the quiet white. He was trapped. Kael'thas felt his anger rise up. _

"_No… a Bloodmage is never trapped!" he raged against it, and hurled a fireball into the thick space around him._

_The sound of crackling flame made his pulse race. The bright burning red was exciting and seductive. A layer burned away to reveal more layers, but now Kael'thas knew he could end the white, kill it off. He raised up his arms and unleashed more explosions of flame. Before long he heard a woman screaming…_

_Kael'thas laughed at whatever it was and kept going. The flickering red filled his vision the way that the green of the arcane crystals took over his eyes months ago. It was wonderful to give into that sweet, sweet high…_

_Kael'thas thrust his arm forward and ignited the next sheet of existence to push the old temptation away. It wilted and died in front of him. The red ate away the white cloth until it was black. It created a hole in the veil and he could see the walls of the golden shrine beyond. Smiling confidently, he stepped through to freedom. _

_The hollow voice said nothing, but shook its head, disappointed. Kael'thas looked over his shoulder to see why._

_Saturna stood there in her white dress, burning. Kael'thas didn't have time to wonder how he had been the one, but he saw the hole in the fabric that he created. The edges were black, revealed her scarred flesh, and she falling to her knees._

"_Saturna! No!"_

_The voice stirred in its sleep. IT wanted to get up, to help too, but Kael'thas lied to IT, told IT that he was not in any danger._

_Kael'thas was horrified at what he'd done. He pressed the agonizing Saturna up against him to extinguish the flame. Vaguely, he understood that fire did not work like that, but it fit into this realm of impossibility, that he could burn a woman's skirt from underneath, and then save her by sacrificing his own flesh to the flame._

"_Saturna… I'm so sorry." He realized that he was apologizing for something else. "I never meant to hurt you… I was so angry at you for calling me a failure, after everything I endured. I wanted to make the fire, to see it… Do you really believe that I am some villain, someone so evil…"_

_But she was dying. Kael'thas could feel her heart fading. He prayed, to anyone at all, that this wasn't real, that he hadn't killed her. The hollow voice that echoed his own seemed to understand. IT was amused at his distress over the woman._

_Saturna died. Time and space twisted and ripped apart as Kael'thas struggled to hold onto her, to comfort her. The floor fell away, and the ruined temple ceiling… though it was early morning, the night sky poured in. Stars appeared everywhere, above and below him. Kael'thas was vaguely aware of this as he tried to hold onto Saturna. Her fingers slipped from his whenever he reached for her, like fate was playing some game with them. Finally, her flesh went cold and his fingers slipped over hers. He lost her forever. The Nether claimed her body. The white dress flickered like a dying star as Saturna was pulled away from him and into the horizon. Kael'thas floated weightless in the other direction. _

_This was life without Saturna, Kael'thas realized. A desperate dark nothingness._

_The pain of that void was horrible. It was worse than coming down from the green-blind orgasm of arcane crystals, than the lethargy that lingered after the adrenaline rush of casting a fire spell from your own hand. Kael'thas covered his face with his arms, squeezed his eyes shut against the burning tears. What she thought of him mattered most, meant everything... and now he'd let her down. She was gone. __When had Saturna Whiteblade become the sun in his sky?_

_When Kael'thas again opened his eyes, Silvermoon City was burning. Saturna extended a hand to help him up._

"_Saturna!" Kael'thas went to embrace her. She pointed a finger at his chest, and stopped him short. The woman's fingernail felt like a claw. The eyes flickered, yellow and reptilian for a moment, and then the head cocked to the side, primitive._

"_I am not Saturna." She told him._

"_What! I thought you were dead... I don't undersrtand—"_

"_Look how it burns." Saturna said, and swept an arm out over the shining white towers consumed in flame. Bits of plaster fell, blackened. Ash sailed through the air. Red glass exploded followed by billowing columns of black smoke. Then, Saturna swept her hand out low in front of her, in a curtsey. "Look how I burn."_

_Kael'thas looked on, horrified. At her beckoning, the skirt caught fire again. "We are one in the same, Silvermoon and I." Kael'thas crawled forward, and tried desperately to put the fire out with his own hands. Saturna laughed at him. "Know this Blood Elf prince: If you abandon me again, If you let me fall prey to another, who does not understand me, does not deserve me, I will suffer. You will lose me all over again." Saturna looked to the blackened sky. "Daughter of the destruction. Initiated in blood when the meatwagon passed through my cotillion… I am a beautiful symbol, aren't I? I became a woman on that day when Silvermoon fell. I took up my blade in your name."  
_

_Saturna gave him a clever smile, and continued, "Have you never thought of me this way? Your own race, flesh of your flesh, I was made by your ancestors for you. And like this city, that restored itself after the invasion, I remade myself into a Bloodknight for you. I am the reborn Silvermoon City and all its glory. We have re-incarnated together. It lives in me."_

_Kael'thas grabbed fistfulls of the burning hem of Saturna's white skirt. Unbidden, the fire returned to his palms and made the blaze even worse. "No... that's impossible. You are just a woman, and I already sacrificed that life. Even if I wanted to, I can't have you. It would be too painful to go back, too dangerous to undo the bond I sealed with IT, in blood."_

"_You must have me." The Saturna who was not Saturna insisted. "You saw how you are lost without me, and I am surely lost without you. That is why I came to the Black Temple to find you. Let not another villain defile this threshold, Kael'thas. It is your sworn duty to honor Silvermoon, to honor me."_

_Saturna reached down to him, "Take my hand. Let's away from this madness you've fallen into, this fire you started when you refused to take the throne." Kael'thas was afraid to look up, now that he knew the truth. The hollow voice seethed and waited._

_"Betray IT!" Saturna hissed. "You know that is why I have come to the Black Temple, to take you back. Forsake IT and cling to me. Return to your people." A forked tongue licked his ears. Kael'thas felt IT's breath on his neck as if he were there with them. He knew IT was watching… he couldn't betray IT now, even if in a dream._

"_She's just a woman… she's no threat." Kael'thas tried to lie and reassure the voice. He dared not call IT by name and summon him forth, a make the final blow to his innocence. But even as he lied to IT, Kael'thas was sickened to merely stand by and watch Saturna Whiteblade burn, to watch Silvermoon City destroyed. This time he was there. This time he knew the exact nature of the threat and how to end it... But because the voice in his head was wide awake now, and watching to see his reaction, there was nothing Kael'thas could do to save the people he loved. Not even in a dream..._

"My Liege, please! Wake up!"

Kael'thas sat up in bed immediately. The golden shrine was enormous and cold. The lone bed they were able to salvage from the fire was hardly enough to make him feel at home in this cavernous place.

Advisor Sorn bowed to Prince Kael'thas. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry for waking you, but we are under attack!"

"What? Another raiding party? Just send Saturna out to meet them, with her white blade." It was meant to be a joke, a show of confidence in his army, but Kael'thas realized how precious her name was to him now. He felt a pang of guilt for joking about ordering his Saturna into the heart of bloody conflict.

"No, my Prince. It is an official Sha'tar force from Shattrath City. Aldor and Scryer together, in armor, with Arcane constructs and Elekks..."

Advisor Sorn said more, but Kael'thas didn't hear him. His eyes searched as the battle plan formed in his mind.

"Tell General Blaize to get the Sunfury to the gate now! Send a runner to the Naga, and the Demons. Tell them of our position."

"And what of the Bloodknights?"

Kael'thas was half out of bed. Thinking of Saturna now broke his concentration.

"Your Majesty? My Prince? Are you alright… should I send for a physician?"

"I want Saturna with me." Kael'thas flared at the look of indignance Advisor Sorn gave him, "What? Are you going to disobey a direct order! Send the Bloodknights to me! Don't dare let General Blaize get his hands on them…"

_At that same moment, a few leagues beyond the Black Temple…_

Grand Marshal Almarrin scratched the ringed tentacles underneath his chin, then put his helmet back on. "So, Anchorites, is there anything else that you need from me, before I give the order?"

Anchorite Romulus stepped forward in his shining plate. They called him the Illuminator. It covered the tall Draenei, head to hoof. The Paladin heaved his violet jeweled hammer up onto his shoulder. "They are four and we are five. You have also given us a small force to pave the way directly to Kael'thas. I believe that is sufficient."

Grand Marshal Almarrin stalked away proudly a few paces. "What an idiot… did he really think that we would ignore an opportunity to assassinate him, while free of Tempest Keep? And the gall of him, to send rogues into the Scryers' Tier and exacerbate conflict when he's already so exposed."

Anchorite Xarsha the Swiftmender, one of two female Aldor Paladins stepped forward as well. "Kael'thas is a fool, indeed. He dies this day for every sin he's committed against the Light and her children."

Grand Marshal Almarrin arced an eyebrow. "A lofty goal, I think… though his trespasses are far too many to count in my opinion. Are you five really sure that you are equipped for—"

"Bloodknights! Pah!" Anchorite Uxmal the Thricemade spat. "Perhaps there were no Bloodknights for us to spar against among the Sunfury, but we asked them about their recent guests... we know the secret powers of Pyorin the Tank, Sunthraze the Sly, and the healer Fennore. 'Most powerful Bloodknights in existence... pah!'" he mocked. "Burn their Scryer tongues, and their cowardly warnings! No matter what, at the end of the day, those four Molesters of the Light are a but an abomination."

"And what of the white blade? Our scouts saw her destroy half a raiding party with that move… and I've never seen any of _you_ do it." Almarrin was skeptical.

Old Tyrannus, with his white beard got up from where he was seated on a stool in the Grand Marshall's tent. "A Bloodknight is a perversion. A disgusting twisting of the truth, as are the Sunfury, as are the lies Prince Kael'thas is telling the Blood Elf people. They all deserve death." He raised his golden mace and slammed it head first into the dirt. "And the woman Bloodknight, Saturna Whiteblade, is perhaps the worst of them all. She will die for her crimes against the Light, for turning a sacred Lay on Hands spell into something so vile." He walked out of the tent, but his full voice could be heard beyond the mere folds of blue cloth. "This day we are judge, jury, and executioner for the Prince of Quel'thalas, and those sworn to protect him. I pray the Light have mercy on their dark souls."

Xarsha looked at Anchorite Paelan the Whitewell, the other female Draenei Paladin. They shared a confident smile.

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider waited in the golden shrine. He stood directly on the convergence of ley lines, surrounded by his Bloodknights. He watched Saturna's even breathing, noted when she flinched or started. She mostly fidgeted when she noticed his eyes on her, and not because of the battle.

"Saturna..." he whispered. She did not turn around to face him. "I... feel badly about the other day."

"It's alright, My Liege."

Kael'thas rarely apologized to anyone at all. That she took his gesture so lightly, made it even more uncomfortable. "Is it true... that your cotilion was on the very day that Arthas invaded Silvermoon? And that a meatwagon passed right through the ceremony--"

"Where did you hear that!" Saturna whirled around, shocked. Her three Bloodknights were surprised by the news too. Kael'thas felt uncomfortable. Clearly, it was supposed to be some secret. But how could his own dream, a manufacturing of his imagination, reveal something to him that no one knew about Saturna Whiteblade, except for Saturna herself.

"Woah. I finally see your point, Pyorin. Our commander is jail-bait." Sunthraze let out a low whistle.

"Hey... I didn't know she was just a kid, Sunthraze. That was because of my military training..."

Fennore, who was the oldest member of their group, began to look very concerned. "There is something morally wrong with... training a mere girl to become a Bloodknight. What was Lady Liadrin thinking..."

"I am still your commander, and this is not the time nor the place!" she thundered at the three of them. Kael'thas flinched with the others. He'd never observed Saturna to yell at anyone like that before. She had murder in her eyes.

"Do you see what you've done!" she accused Kael'thas. But Saturna's voice was weighted by desperation. Kael'thas realized that being chosen to command these Bloodknights after losing everything, despite her age, was an unheralded personal achievement for Saturna. Clearly, being a Bloodknight was all she had left in life...

All five of them were disciplined enough to make their way back to matters at hand. Pyorin stood across from Saturna, who was on Kael'thas' left. The tank had his shield in one hand. The other had a handful of Darkmoon Faire cards that he kept spinning between his fingers. Kael'thas kept looking for Saturna to admonish Pyorin about playing with his deck at a time like this, but she didn't. Sunthraze was whispering to himself, and Fennore kept casting small healing spells on the three of them, exercising his talent. Kael'thas waited, impatient, for Saturna to counsel all of her Bloodknights and put a stop to the compulsive behavior, but she seemed lost in her own thoughts, or else… she empathized with them and indulged their idiosyncracies.

Kael'thas got a strange feeling then. They appeared so acclimated to each other, like a family.

"Why are we waiting in here?" Saturna sounded especially irritated now, in addition to the wait.

Kael'thas blinked. "This is my strategy. They expect me to be out there… if I were, I'd be a target. Why should I make it easy for them?"

"But you have exceptional skill. You could turn the tide of the battle, My Prince." Saturna replied. Kael'thas hesitated. Clearly, he'd misread this as a compliment. Saturna sighed aloud. "My Prince, we are tools, not treasures. We are meant to fight, especially Bloodknights. We need to be in the maelstrom, giving support, not cooped up in here."

"I am here, and so you are here!" Kael'thas stubbornly declared. He wouldn't meet Saturna's offended look.

Pyorin and the others bristled at Kael'thas who'd just chewed out their commander.

The door opened and a scout ran in. The noise of a battle going on at the temple gates far south along the Main Causeway rose and fell as the Sunfury guards pulled the doors closed.

"Your Majesty," he knelt at Kael'thas' feet. "The Shatar are making their way into the temple proper. General Blaize is being pushed back."

Kael'thas swore.

"The Naga spellcasters are doing what they can, but it is not enough. The Demons are sending league after league of footsoldiers into the enemy, but their forces simply eat through them. The Sunfury are taking heavy casualties." The young Sunfury Soldier paused to catch his breath, or perhaps he hesitated with what was coming next. "General Blaize requests that… you send Mistress Saturna and the other Bloodknights. He says they are desperately needed."

"What! Do you expect me to believe that four Bloodknights will really change the tide of battle? This is personal. How dare General Blaize abuse this opportunity."

"Nate is right, Kael'thas!" Saturna urged him. "You've never seen us in a war. We can do a great deal of good. Our auras, our blessings are wasted here."

"Is it not your sworn duty to protect me? Isn't that why you came here, Saturna? Or were you lying?" Kael'thas flashed a protective look at Saturna. Perhaps he was being irrational, but he wouldn't dare to risk her... "Blaize is not using all of his resources. Tell him to call on the Demons and their powers. Have the Naga shaman go into the fray."

"All due respect, My Prince, but he anticipated that you might say that. The General says the Demons and the Naga will not heed his call."

Saturna stood directly infront of Kael'thas, blocking out the messenger. "Send us, or I will have to commit treason here and now! Weren't you the very one who asked my men to smooth over good relations with the Naga and the Demons? Would you waste _your_ resources now, Kael'thas!"

The Prince sent the scout away with very choice words for General Blaize. The young man protested strongly to have been put in such a terrible position as the messenger but Kael'thas yelled at him to get out.

The Bloodknights resumed their nervous brooding. Kael'thas watched a vein in Saturna's neck tighten. In their black plate armor, the four Bloodknights looked like molten revenge contained in metal… that they just stood and waited was beginning to feel like a waste.

The messenger came asking for the Bloodknights again. This time, Blaize had observed that the Aldor and Scryer forces had trouble working together, but the greater disharmony of Illidan's forces heartened them. If only ones could be sent who would unite the three factions, or the champion of the Blood Elf people could come to make the Sha'tar hesitate… Perhaps that alone could turn the tide of battle.

"Tell Blaize that if he asks for Saturna again, this is the last day he serves as my General."

"Kael'thas!"

The echo of Saturna's voice was drowned out by the slamming doors of the shrine. The four Bloodknights looked at each other once the scout had departed and drew weapons.

"It's only a matter of time now," Sunthraze slyly observed about Kael'thas' poor judgement.

Sunthraze was right. Within the hour, shouts in Thalassian from beyond the door rose up. The door was rammed in and splinters of wood flew everywhere. Five tall Draenei Paladins emerged, wielding massive maces and shields. A small company of Aldor soldiers was with them. These went directly for Kael'thas.

The Blood Elf Prince lashed out a hand and an instant fireball exploded at the soldiers. To his surprise they resisted a great deal of it and kept coming.

"To Kael'thas!" Saturna shouted to her men and boldly raced up to the Draenei paladins alone. She leapt into the air, twisting her body gracefully. Then the fairy woman unleashed her horrible sword, turned the Corrupted Ashbringer white. It turned exactly thrice in the air, went flying into the line of Paladins…

Old Tyrannus, with golden mace and white beard shouted a command, and all five Draenei called up Divine Shields at once. The Light from Saturna's sword filled the room, expanded… killed two stealthed rogues that Saturna hadn't known were there. But when the white dissipated, the five Draenei stood proud, and unscathed. Saturna crouched low on the ground, recovering from the spell. Five alien faces looked down and laughed at her.

Saturna shook. She hadn't expected this… the warm flood of Fennore's power washing through her brought Saturna back just as the five Draenei Paladins were ontop of her. Saturna summoned her own Divine Shield, judged with a Seal of the Crusader and then called up the Seal of Blood. Fennore continued to heal her, and this helped to regenerate some of the mana she sacrificed. With time, the two female Draenei became irritated with Fennore and peeled off to attack him directly.

That, of course, had been the strategy all along.

While Saturna struggled with the three angry male Draenei Paladins, Fennore used a Hammer of Justice to stun Xarsha whom the Draenei called the Swiftmender. Fennore guessed that she was a healer by the armor she wore. Then, Fennore called up a Divine Shield and turned to heal Prince Kael'thas who was methodically pyroblasting through the soldiers who'd come at him. Next, Fennore used the last few moments of his shield to turn and preemptively heal Sunthraze who charged in and cast a Repentance spell on Anchorite Xarsha to keep her incapacitated. The outrage on her face was captured perfectly as the Bloodknight and abuser of the Light forced her into a state of meditation, to think over her wrongdoing. Sunthraze turned to Paelan the Whitewell who called up a Seal of Command. Sunthraze laughed when he recognized the earmarks of a fellow Retribution Paladin, and then judged immediately with his own Seal of Command. Each summoned another beautiful golden spell. Sunthraze reared up with his enormous blackened spear and Xarsha raised her gigantic golden sword. The clash of Light against Light was unexpectedly harmonious. It was clear that the magic wished not to rage against itself; it was being forced.

Fennore turned his attention back to Saturna, who needed a heal badly, then dashed forward and cast a Seal of Light on the old white-bearded Tyrannaus. Fennore whistled for Pyorin, who came charging out of the throng and threw a molten gold shield of Light at all three of Saturna's attackers. It gave the woman just enough time to fall back and heal herself while the tank Consecrated the ground and made the three male Draenei very angry at his display of self-righteousness.

"Why aren't they using their talents?" Romulus the Illuminator attempted to stun Pyorin with a Hammer of Justice spell but the lithe Blood Elf tank dodged it.

"I have no idea…" Uxmal the Thricemade answered. He then lowered his shield and rammed into Pyorin, trying to knock the Blood Elf off his feet. Pyorin blocked simultaneously and their shields crashed, bleeding spurts of gold Light.

"They saw how we bested their commander… they don't dare take another tactical risk." Old Tyrannus informed them. He swept Pyorin aside with his large mace and charged forth, but the tank used the opportunity to gain more distance and snared them with another flying shield spell. The three Draenei swore and returned to Pyorin. They did not speak the same language, but his threat was obvious. Pyorin wouldn't let them through to his friends, unless they killed him first.

"Give the bastard what he wants, boys!" Old Tyrannus bellowed, and they raised their hammers to cast a Seal of Justice all at once…

"Fennore… this isn't good." Saturna shouted as she ran past to get at Kael'thas' side. Now there were Scryer soldiers coming in through the ruined door. They took one look around the room, recognized it, and began shouting orders for their spellcasters to get directly on the powerful ley line.

It enraged Kael'thas to see them. He shot a massive fireball directly at their commander. The Scryer leader cried out in agony, and Kael'thas took his time putting curse after curse on him. Every Scyrer healer tried to regenerate their commander's life, but Kael'thas kept casting through all the de-curse and cleansing spells. Any normal warlock would have given up by now, to save mana. Kael'thas Sunstrider was ruthless, insisting with each effort that his curses were more powerful than conventional magic, than even healing. He eventually overwhelmed them, as he knew he could. The Scyrers were demoralized to see their efforts fail. Fennore had to go above and beyond restoring their Prince since he'd made himself into a target with all the showing off.

"I'll not have my healer indulge your revenge!" Saturna shouted at Kael'thas. The Prince ignored her, gave his own warcry in Thalassian, and sent a final Incinerate spell at the Scryer commander. White hot flame writhed like a snake through the Draenei Paladins and the Scyrers to find its victim who screamed in horrible pain, then died.

"My mana is low!" Fennore shouted to his comrades. Saturna glared at Kael'thas before sheathing her sword. She called a Divine Shield upon herself and began healing Fennore, so that through his spiritual attunement, the better healer would regain mana, through restoring his life.

Incensed by Kael'thas' show of brutality, the Scryers focused all fire on him. Saturna shouted to her men to drop everything and heal their prince. The Draenei Paladins were again thwarted by a series of Divine Shields, and turned their anger on Kael'thas too. Every Bloodknight there attempted to heal Kael'thas with their mana, but it was running out. Finally, three Lay on Hands spells were given to the Prince as he casted. It drained everyone's mana. Saturna would have given her own, but her teary eyes met Kael'thas'. She had turned her blade white. She had no Lay on Hands spell to give.

"My Prince… I'm so sorry…"

He saw her raise her arms above her head, ready to cast the Divine Intervention spell that would take her life to save his own.

"No!" Kael'thas thundered. _I can't be the cause of her demise... not like in the dream... _He raised his arms and purple energy licked up at his sides. In mere moments, an inky blue Voidwalker appeared.

"Sacrifice yourself to me!" Kael'thas ordered the Voidwalker to take its own life. It looked Kael'thas in the eye and tossed up its smoky claws in the throes of death. In exchange, the Bloodmage gained a shield from his Demon pet. Saturna turned and picked up her sword to parry the mace of a Draenei Paladin who'd strayed in too close.

"When that fails… none of us will be alive to save you…" Saturna told Kael'thas as she fought off the tall Draenei as best she could. Kael'thas took a last glance around the room. Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore were faring no better. She would die. He would burn her to death like before, and her Bloodknights fall with her...

_I want you with everything that I am, Kael'thas. I need you badly, as if it were in my loins… and now you need me too. Call me! _IT spoke in his mind.

"I know… I know what I have to do now." Kael'thas bowed his head, resigned. He raised his arms, began conjuring. Déjà vu seized Saturna. The shield Kael'thas sacrificed his Voidwalker for was golden, and the horrible fire he conjured was golden as well. It pulsed and writhed like his Voidwalker summoning spell, but it blazed out of control, consumed everyone who was right ontop of Kael'thas. Saturna blinked and saw Kael'thas naked like in her dream, opened her eyes, and saw him in full red regalia again. The force of the power he brought on pushed his robes back, revealed the glowing red Mageblade he carried. Saturna was caught up in the sight of him, the gravity of what he was doing… she knew what he was conjuring, and that he could actually summon IT at all was more terrifying than anything else. It was just supposed to be a dream... how was it coming to life?

_Yes, the need rises in me also. I can deny it no longer... come to me, my Illidan._

Saturna knew this was why she had come to the Black Temple, to stop Kael'thas from going so far. She saw now that it was too late. That The Betrayer could turn to her Prince and say,

"What is your bidding, my Master?"

"KILL THEM ALL!" Kael'thas screamed above the terrified gasps that rose from the Scryers and the Aldor gathered there. The horror of it seized them. They knew that Kael'thas was a warlock, but still… it should not have been possible…

Lord Illidan Stormrage threw his head back, exposing the green demonic runes carved into his dark skin. The Twin Blades of Azzinoth glinted in the morning light. He opened his tattered dark wings that seemed to drag a black plague of demon magic with them through the air. Illidan soared up, high to the ruined skylight, sneering at them all. Saturna turned to Kael'thas, heartbroken. He did not see her pleading eyes. Kael'thas was transfixed by the vision of his newest Demon pet. His hands trembled, and a sick, lustful smile stretched across the Prince's handsome face. Kael'thas was in ecstasy. The Demon Lord that owned his soul was magnificent.

He blotted out the sun.


	12. Bloodnights v Paladins, a Royal Rumble

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twelve: Bloodknights vs. Paladins and a Royal Rumble**

The first time that Saturna saw Illidan Stormrage, she screamed.

Beside her, Kael'thas was surprised to hear it. He reached for her, but she ran from his side. The blinding fear consumed and tortured her common sense like nothing else. Saturna tripped over her own feet and fell backwards. Then she scrambled to get away on hands and knees, gasping for panicked breaths.

There were many in that room who did the same as she.

"Know you true anger?" Illidan's roar echoed off the walls of the golden shrine. He seemed to grow larger as he flapped his wings before the ruined skylight. The day flickered in and out, as if a black storm approached rapidly. "Know you true pain?" The Demon Lord tossed his head. Two curved black horns made double arcs of shadow across the golden threshold. They speared everyone there. "Is that why you have come to the Black Temple, to take revenge on The Betrayer?" Illidan lashed his wings out and roared again.

"There is no greater anger than that of The Betrayer. There is no greater pain than that which races through my veins. And there is no greater revenge than that I will take on you, for turning your backs on me, FOR I AM THE ONE MOST BETRAYED!"

He swooped down, and at the edge of one shining Blade of Azzinoth, he cleaved half the people there in two.

"Saturna!" Kael'thas called out to her. Warm blood splashed on him. He recoiled from it too late. The enemy around them raced past, frantic. The bellow of the white-bearded Draenei Paladin rang out, and those who could keep their wits about them rallied into his sparkling blue aura. The Bloodknights went in the other direction.

Saturna swatted Kael'thas away. "Get a hold of yourself!" he shouted at her. "The day is not won yet, we must support Illidan. Get on your feet!" he yanked her up with a strong arm. Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore jogged over.

"What is your will, Commander?"

Saturna flinched at Kael'thas speaking to her, for all of them. Her eyes flitted between her Prince and the Demon he had summoned. The sight of Illidan ripping through people like ragdolls was sickening. He laughed while he did it, relished the gore. She wanted to vomit.

Fennore got a firm arm around her waist. "I'm afraid she's not mature enough for this…" Saturna heard him saying through her haze.

"I'll take over," Pyorin offered. Instantly, their ranks broke as Sunthraze heatedly insisted that he lead.

The anger over being discounted again, after everything she endured in life to get this far opened Saturna's mind. It burned away the cold dread. She could do this... she had to. "Find your marks!" Saturna shouted suddenly. She pushed out from under Fennore's arm, though she was unsteady on her feet.

"Commander…?"

"You heard me! Pick the Paladin you want and murder him! On my command. Get your swords ready."

Sunthraze focused on Paelan the Whitewell, across the room. Fennore sized up Romulus the Illuminator, and Pyorin called claim on Uxmal the Thricemade, who looked most like a tank to him. He started to size up Old Tyrannus too, but Saturna prevented him.

"Leave the old man and that healer to me." She snarled, and drew her Corrupted Ashbringer.

"I will support Illidan." Kael'thas nodded at Saturna and raced over.

Saturna acknowledged him and then gave her Bloodknights one last look. "This day, we show the world the true strength of Bloodknights. Do not doubt for a second that those in Shatthrath City are waiting, eager for the results… DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE US!" she shouted, and charged in.

As if the battle between Paladins and Bloodknights had been fated in the stars, when the Anchorites saw their attackers they went to meet the Blood Elves instantly. They forgot the conflict around them, and left the remaining Scryer and Aldor soldiers to deal with Illidan and Kael'thas, eager to settle the matter at last. The Bloodknights had already done the exactly the same.

Saturna ducked low, almost doing a split when Old Tyrannus tried to smash her skull in with his hammer. Then the lithe woman rolled, and pushed up off the floor with one hand. The other swung her great sword out and back to parry when Xarsha the healer attempted to stun Saturna. Tyrannus scowled and whipped his golden mace about again, but Saturna leapt back. Xarsha called a Seal of Light upon the woman's head, but Saturna expected this and used the opening to throw herself against the female Draenei. Both of them fell. On the way down, Saturna thrust forward a palm and cast a Repentance spell on the angry white bearded retribution paladin who struggled to target her and not his comrade. Hardly a breath later, Saturna turned and pushed off the Draenei woman, mid-fall. As soon as her heel touched the blackened tiled floor, Saturna used the leverage to throw herself into the next swing.

There was nothing between the two women but air. Gravity did its work and pinned Xarsha to the fall. She tried to reach for her mace, attempting to recover from the crash at the last moment.

It only took a few seconds, but to Saturna it seemed it took forever to bring the blade around, against the searing pain in her arms and back… against the warmth of Tyrannus' meditative breathing on her neck, that he would recover from at any moment… against the peripheral awareness of Kael'thas watching her do it, which she struggled to ignore. It didn't matter what he thought or felt now. It was the job of a Bloodknight to survive, to live using the Light, no matter the cost.

Finally, with an angry scream, Saturna finished the swing and took off the other woman's head.

Tyrannus woke then and only the sound of the heavy mace whistling through the air near her ear warned Saturna in enough time to call on her Divine Shield.

"You foul bitch!" he shouted at her, when he saw what she'd done to his friend. The bloodied trunk had just come to a stop. Life and the momentum seemed to end simultaneously.

The spatter of blood against her armor and across her cheek made Saturna look truly deadly. Knowing the power of intimidation, she smiled at the old Draenei, and tossed her white hair arrogantly before healing herself.

Sunthraze was mired in precise swordplay with the Anchorite called the Whitewell. Though he did not know her name, or any of the other Anchorite's names, it became clear to him at once that this woman was exceptional as far as retribution Paladins go. The wrath of her Holy spells seared him. How many Seals of Command had they summoned? How many times had they judged each other with the power of a Crusader? The battle seemed endless, as persistent as this woman's Light spells that burned like nothing else.

Sunthraze remembered his commander's white blade. He was very tempted to use his special talent now, and end this…

Paelan screamed with frustration when she brought her sword around to cut through Sunthraze's middle and he dodged. "Why am I surprised!" she shouted at him in her language. "A soldier with not a wound on his face, of course he dodges every attempt!"

Sunthraze flashed another infuriating smile her way. He grabbed both ends of his Blackened Spear and pushed the shaft at her, to throw her off momentarily as he called up a new Seal of Blood. "Well… you're fat!" he shouted at her. He had no idea what she said, but he wanted to keep up somehow.

Most Aldor know some Thalassian to get by in Shatthrath City.

"DIE!" Paelan translated her reply for him expertly, and sweeped low, taking his feet from under him with a slender cloven hoof.

Sunthraze landed hard on his back, the wind knocked out of him. He opened his eyes to see the blade tip of a giant golden sword coming down fast on his face.

Some feet away, Fennore refocused his shielding spell at the last moment to save Sunthraze's life. He received Romulus the Illuminator's mace in the gut for it. Fennore felt the hot metal of his armor snap his bones and crush his insides. He sank to his knees and coughed up blood.

"Pah! Bloodknight, my hoof! You all are just Paladins in disguise, no better than the rest of us." Romulus chuckled, exhausted, in his thick accent.

Fennore bent over, and held the ground. He knew that he should get back up, but all he could see was red. Which way was up? Was he alone? Where was the enemy?

Far away, it seemed he heard fighting. Sunthraze and Pyorin were still alive, and Saturna… if they did not need healing, then he'd fought well. He could also die well.

Fennore bowed his head. Golden hair fell over his face. He could barely see it for his red-tainted vision. It was his own blood, he understood that now. Fennore's arms trembled, and the teeth in the back of his mouth came loose when slipped in all the red and his jaw slammed against the floor.

"Heal Kael'thas!"

Fennore rolled over onto his back. He saw the mace coming for him.

"Pyorin? Sunthraze… Fennore!" it was Saturna shouting. He heard footfalls, his friends rushing over.

Someone began to cheer… the enemy… "Death to the Prince of Quel'thalas! Death to Illidan!"

"My Prince…" Fennore choked and reached up aimlessly before the hammer slammed into him.

Everyone saw Fennore die. No one expected the man to simply step out of his body, like a soul made of molten gold light.

Kael'thas chanced a panicked look over his shoulder. Fennore had somehow got beside him, lightning quick.

"I am not a ghost." Fennore smiled at him, as kindly as a spirit guide. Then he placed a golden hand on Kael'thas' shoulder and healed him completely. Next, the transformed Bloodknight went and lay his hand on Illidan's flesh. The Demon Lord roared victoriously at the healing power he felt surge in him.

"How did he… is he immortal?" Romulus the Illuminator was asking. Sunthraze stalked up behind the Paladin quietly, brought his spear around in a sparkling burst of Light…

Romulus turned around and saw Paelan stuck in meditation, a spell he knew all too well. Then, he looked down to see the gash in his side.

"Sure he is. Fennore the Immortal." Sunthraze proudly observed. "He finally did it..." These were the last words Romulus heard before he died.

Though what Fennore had done was unprecedented, he was still just a healer. But it was fear ability, if not the magic that threw the enemy off. Sunthraze looked over to watch the remaining Shatar retreat. He gave the kind of victorious irreverent smile that only a Bloodknight was capable of.

Old Tyrannus finally landed a blow on Saturna. She heard her back snap, and the delicate fairy woman twisted awkwardly in the air before hitting the floor.

Fennore looked up from where he was passing his powers through to Illidan. In an instant flash of Light, he was by Saturna's side. He gently picked the shocked woman up in his arms.

"Do not fear. I will heal you." Fennore said, his voice an otherworldly echo. Sunthraze parried a blow to Fennore's translucent head too late, but it didn't matter. The old Draenei's weapon passed through the kneeling Bloodknight.

Slowly, Fennore looked over his shoulder at Tyrannus. "I will not let you harm her." Saturna was gaining strength in Fennore's arms. Her face looked peaceful as the pain departed from her body.

"How… how can you be made of the Light?" Tyrannus asked, amazed. "You are evil... that kind of blessing is not allowed..."

Across the room Paelan the Whitewell came out of her daze to see the three Bloodknights speaking to her mentor. The sight of the one Blood Elf, made of entirely of gold Light was overwhelming. It stirred her heart, like Tyrannus. But then she saw something else, that made her go cold.

"Tyrannus! Watch out!"

The old man's knees buckled and he collapsed. Sunthraze slowly withdrew his naked hand from the hole he'd bored into the silver plate. The man's hand was golden, like Fennore was all over. Somehow, he'd reached through the armor, into the Draenei's body...

Paelan met Sunthraze's eyes, and began to back away.

"Paelan! Run!" Uxmal the Thricemade shouted. Pyorin had forced the other tank onto the ground with his shield. The Blood Elf tank held a shimmering Hammer of Wrath overhead.

Paelan the Whitewell did not wait to watch her last friend die. She fled.

Kael'thas saw her go, but ran to Saturna instead. Illidan followed. "Will she live?" Kael'thas asked Fennore. The man who was no longer a man, but pure Light smiled at Kael'thas. "Yes. She will live." Fennore helped Saturna to stand, and they all watched her gain her bearings.

Illidan looked all the Blood Elves over with a shrouded smile before turning to the one he knew well.

"Where are the others, Kael'thas?"

Their Prince pointed through the ruined doors of his new room. "Out there Illidan, to the south at the gates."

The Bloodknights looked at each other. This was not the Illidan of before. He spoke to Kael'thas in a gentle voice, that they did not think the Demon Lord capable of.

"Come. Let's find General Blaize and end this foolishness." Illidan announced. They rushed after him to end the siege.

When they arrived at the gates, Illidan flew up over the remaining Sha'tar army as he'd done before in the Golden Shrine. Saturna realized it was a tactic he used to distract the enemy. The Demon Lord made another showy speech.

"To your factions!" Saturna ordered her men, realizing that Illidan was buying them time.

The Sunfury were amazed at Fennore, who walked among them like a golden specter and healed individual soldiers completely with a simple touch of his hand. Then in a flash of white Light, he would appear immediately behind the next person who needed help. The spells of mages, arrows, blades all passed through the Bloodknight. "Hail! Fennore the Immortal!" they chanted, and fought even harder.

Sunthraze raced into the throng of slithering Naga soldiers and blew a kiss to She'shara who was healing up front. The other Naga clacked their jaws with approval as he tore through an Aldor warrior who charged directly at Lady Vashj. The Naga Queen had to smile at that.

Pyorin gave his Blessings of Kings and powerful Devotion Aura to the Demons. It took twice as long for the Shatar forces to cut through them now. When they sent their spellcasters into the teeth of the Demon footsoldiers, Pyorin pushed into the fray. He shouted a battle cry at the top of his lungs and spread his arms wide. Tiny points of Light burst forth from every soldier in that Shatar regiment and crashed against his black armor. In the next moment, they were fighting against the Demons to get to Pyorin, throwing the careful strategizing of their commanders to the winds.

"How have you done that?" Mavia the Maneater surprised Pyorin from behind and lashed an Aldor who strayed in too close.

"The Light exists in every creature." Pyorin ducked briefly under his shield to avoid a blow. "I know how to taunt it onto myself, and Because I force the Light from their bodies, the enemy cannot so easily turn away."

"Do you often die because of it? That seems to me the only result." She smirked, and lashed someone else.

Pyorin laughed. The throes of battle nearly drowned him out. "It's a gamble, really… but never when Fennore the Immortal is my healer." He added, in honor of his friend.

Finally, General Blaize to shout the order. "All unite! Advance and drive them back!"

Lord Illidan chose that moment to land behind the Sha'tar army and draw all their fire. The combined forces of the Naga, Sunfury, and the Demons fell in behind, one by one, as Saturna's Bloodknights rallied their loyal factions to the call. A great deal of the force from Terrokkar Forest was crushed. Illidan flew out of the way of stragglers, shouting that losers should live to tell the tale of their defeat.

Saturna whistled for her men above the celebrating throngs. When they got close she told them, "Hunt down that last Paladin and bring her to me."

Some hours later, Sunthraze and Pyorin dragged the Draenei woman by her long legs to their commander. Paelan the Whitewell had her Divine Shield up. She was bruised and beaten. She screamed for help at the top of her lungs, but they were just outside the gates of the Black Temple.

The usual Demon guard looked on, but did nothing.

"Did you let her drain her mana?" Saturna discreetly asked of her men. They nodded.

"Who sent you?" Saturna drew her sword and turned it white. She pointed it in the woman's face. When Paelan didn't answer, Saturna dragged it in a line up the length of her silver armor. It seared right through the metal and burned the Draenei's blue skin white.

"The Silver Hand!" she shrieked, in her best Thalassian.

"Why?"

Between tortured gasps, the Draenei woman managed, "Because you needed to be assassinated. You and your Bloodknights… and Kael'thas is the head of the snake."

"The cowards." Saturna paced in a circle. "If they dislike our practices then they should take the complaint up with Lady Liadrin directly… is that how Paladins of the Light deal with the Thalassian army? By striking from obscurity in the heart of Outland?"

"And behind the mask of Anchorites." Pyorin observed.

"It is the honorable way…" Paelan gasped. "Or else the entire Horde would have to die for your crimes. We… were proud to do the favor."

Saturna smiled grimly. "That is just a self-righteous way of saying that the Silver Hand finds Bloodknights blasphemous but wouldn't dare go to war with the entire Horde over it." She turned to her men. "It would seem that more people know about our special skills than we thought. The Silver Hand sought to twist that honor... hunt us down like monsters and turn us into examples for other aspiring Bloodknights." It was mystical... for someone so young to teach them.

Saturna removed her sword from underneath the Anchorite's chin. "Finish her off." She told Sunthraze and turned to leave. The inspiring moment vanished.

"But Commander… why not just kill her—" Sunthraze gasped.

"If you withhold that last scrap of dignity you have left, just for her, then they will go on believing that we are merely 'paladins in disguise', as the old one called us. Will they fear us if we are merely Blood Elves play-acting with the Light, or perhaps some kind of misguided Light-mage? No, they won't. They must learn that we are the real thing. We are exactly what they fear, no, worse than they ever could have imagined. We _must_ be monsters if we are going to stay their hand. We cannot allow the Silver Hand to meddle with us again, to put Kael'thas in danger." She gave Sunthraze a stern look. "Do whatever you must, but leave enough of the body for them see… and fear what we are."

Then she walked away. "I am going to go find that Kael'thas!"

"I may die before this is done." Fennore told them after she'd gone.

"Oh, Fennore… you sacrificed yourself for us…" Pyorin began to mourn.

"I mean for you to resurrect me afterward! I cast a Divine Intervention spell inside of myself… I'm sort of inside out right now, and it won't last forever. Just so you know."

"You Bloodknights and your so-called mastery of the Light. It is nothing but a trick." Paelan managed in her broken Thalassian.

Sunthraze solemnly removed his gauntlet. He let an aura of white light coalesce around his bare hands, as if he were going to use the powerful retributive spell. Then he inhaled deeply and let the magic flow into his palms. They turned translucent like Fennore, golden.

"It is not exactly the way he did it, but close." He explained to Paelan, and smirked. "But really, Paladin. I agree with you. We're all just playing a game, aren't we? Smoke and mirrors…" he dragged a bare fingertip against her cheek and it bruised golden. Finally, the flesh bruised and blistered as the Light burned it. Sunthraze motioned for the others to remove her armor.

Paelan struggled. "Aaah! How… are you turning the Light itself against me?"

"Shh, or you'll ruin it." Sunthraze told her. He continued to burn more and more of her flesh. "It is something that only I can do, to others who use the Light. I'm not sure how it works… but it does."

Paelan cried and spat on him, while he ruined her face.

"Fine. I'll give you death if that's what you want." Sunthraze conceded, sounding remorseful. "And for my final act… look ma, no hands." And he folded his arms behind his back.

The Bloodknight leaned forward and kissed the Paladin on the lips. The searing golden power destroyed her as surely would fire. Pyorin and Fennore turned their heads, unwilling to watch how they were throwing away the last of their honor, in the name of survival, to protect Kael'thas.

With a heavy heart, even Sunthraze closed his eyes.

Back inside the Black Temple, Saturna waited for Illidan to finish speaking with her Prince. As soon as the Demon Lord was at a safe distance, and the soldiers celebrating elsewhere, she jabbed Kael'thas in the shoulder.

"What the hell is wrong with you! Why did you summon Illidan? What does that mean... What have you _done_, Kael'thas!"

He lowered his eyes. "Not here–"

"You did what?!" General Blaize strode up to Kael'thas next. He glanced at Saturna briefly and then turned to back to the other man. "You endanger your soldiers to satisfy a feud with me, not to mention disregarding my good strategic sense, which you should trust by now... just to keep Saturna by your side. That's what I came over here to speak with you about! Now I hear that you summoned Lord Illidan, The Betrayer himself, like some Demon pet? What else did you do in there with my girlfriend, you crazy warlock? Hold a seance?"

Kael'thas regarded both of them with disappointment. "Having the capacity to commune with Demons, warlocks are constantly on the brink of falling into evil, and are so gravely misunderstood by the populace. The strongest of us can see where that tenuous line between control and oblivion is drawn. From that point on, only the bravest of warlocks are clever enough to delve across that line when more power is desperately needed to save lives. So, in a sense, I am crazy, General Blaize, when one considers that genius is so close to madness... It takes a diabolical mastermind to both see the line and know how or when to cross it... and then go a step further and truly take the power for his own without completely forfeiting his soul." When neither Saturna nor Blaize seemed to follow his ominous explanation he added, "And no, as you can see your girlfriend is unhurt. I wanted to sacrifice a virgin but everyone in the Black Temple knows that my own General has been seeing to that." then he shrugged and a wicked grin grew on Kael'thas' face.

Saturna blushed.

Blaize was livid. "You strut about as if you won this day! Your nefarious meddling has finally gone too far, Kael'thas! The Shatar forces got past us, they were beating us into a pulp because you selfishly wanted to keep Saturna by your side. It was her going against your orders in the end that saved us! How many times did I beg you to let the Bloodknights divide among the factions and lead?"

"What? _I _ was the one who summoned Illidan to help us to victory. I got him here faster than anyone else could, and as soon as he showed his face the battle was ended. This has got nothing to do with Saturna–"

"We are all going to meet a terrible end if you continue to lead us this way! You're putting us all at risk because you're obsessed with my girlfriend! Can't you see that, Kael'thas?" Blaize was shouting now. Demons, Naga, Fel Orcs, and Sunfury soldiers began to listen in. Their excited conversations dimmed.

Kael'thas looked angry at the accusation, but then he calmed. He was thinking.

At last, in a gentle voice he answered, "Yes. Of course I'm obsessed with Saturna." He looked up, and then said more confidently, "In fact... I'm in love with her. What is love but a madness? The passion overwhelms us, causes us to do reckless things." he lowered his voice again, speaking to mostly to himself. "Like summon a Demon Lord whose power I've been resisting for over a year... to save her life."

Kael'thas turned to Saturna. "I love you Saturna... How do you feel about that?" It wasn't a challenge. He truly wanted to know.

Saturna took a deep breath and never let it out. She staggered back a step, hesitated...

"You've crossed a line, Kael'thas!" Blaize thrust an angry finger at him.

"A line that _you_ drew, Blaize. You had the gall to plot against me, and keep us apart by sending her into the dungeon. But I can't really be so angry with you about that now, can I?" He was smug. "You just helped me to see the feelings I had for her."

Blaize frowned at Saturna who still hadn't answered Kael'thas, or him for that matter. "Come on," he seized her hand. "I'm taking you home."

Kael'thas grabbed Blaize's arm. "I don't think so! She hasn't answered my question."

General Blaize turned on him, furious. "Unhand me! Don't you touch me like that again, unless you want a beating. And you stay away from my Saturna!" Blaize began to command them both. "And as for you, Saturna, he's dangerous! He almost killed all my men tonight, over you. I don't want you going anywhere near him."

Kael'thas watched them walk away, and into the red carpeted Main Causeway. The sight of Blaize forcing her along finally got under his skin. He balled his fists at his sides and stalked slowly after them.

General Blaize didn't want to, but he responded to the tapping on his shoulder. "Kael'thas, I warned you–"

The Prince's fist came low and fast. It plunged deep into Blaize's unarmored solar plexis. It was most certainly a calculated and intentional strike. General Blaize fell onto his knees, he barely braced his fall with his hands in time, and leaned over, gasping for the air that was knocked out of him. Everyone in that grand hallway saw and heard Kael'thas punch his own General.

Kael'thas came and stood over the suffering man. "That is what I think about you ordering me around." Then he looked at Saturna, reached for her.

"Kael'thas! No–" she attempted to get away.

He grabbed both her shoulders and kissed her. Saturna struggled at first, but she didn't towards the end. Kael'thas was aggressive but passionate. Gasps raised up from the crowd. When he was done, he held Saturna in his arms and looked down at Blaize with an triumphant smirk. "And that is what I think about you ordering around Saturna."

One could hear General Blaize's angry breathing, see the strong chest expand. "Alright, if that's the way you want it... Saturna, hold my sword." He pushed the weapon into her hands and forced she and Kael'thas apart.

Kael'thas wasn't intimidated in the least, though he was not as burly as Blaize. "Saturna, hold my Mageblade." He handed the showy red-glowing weapon over. It looked much better than Blaize's simple silver longsword. General Blaize shook his head at Kael'thas and exhaled, irritated.

They made fists and began to square off.

Saturna saw agitated movement in the crowd. Her three Bloodknights rushed to the front. Their expressions were grim.

"Thank goodness! Pyorin, Sunthraze! Please do something... for the sake of Quel'thalas! Those two can't fight each other... this is horrible!"

Sunthraze looked greatly disturbed, but then he realized what was going on and his mood lightened. He relished Saturna's embarrassment. Sunthraze donned his classic sly smile and strutted up between the men.

"Now, now... we can't let this come to blows,"

Saturna breathed a sigh of relief.

"Without proper introductions. Ladies and Gentlemen!" Sunthraze the Sly raised both hands into the air overhead. "What we have here is a royal rumble, a military mayhem! It's bound to be a good time."

"Sunthraze! Pyorin, set him straight..." Saturna begged.

"Of course, M'Lady," he bowed and stepped into what Sunthraze had suggested was a ring. "I'm taking any and all bets as the The Black Temple Casino Master. And yes, se habla Fel Orcish..."

"Oh! I'll be the fight doctor!" Fennore, who was back in the flesh, beamed. "Don't worry, Saturna." he waved to their commander over the cheering crowd.

Saturna screamed with frustration. "You three good for nothing–"

"In this corner, we have... I'd say weighing in at about two hundred and fifty pounds, rippling with Grade A Thalassian muscle, current champion of the Lady's heart, commander of the worthy Sunfury, the one and only General Nathaniel Blaize!" Sunthraze raised the man's hand up in the air, and the Sunfury soldiers, and a great deal of Demons and Naga who'd placed bets on him started cheering. They screamed for blood.

Kael'thas looked over his shoulder. Lord Illidan towered over the crowd. His arms were crossed angrily over his tattooed chest, but then the Demon Lord shook his head at the situation and started laughing heartily. Kael'thas winked, and smiled back.

"And in this corner," Sunthraze shouted, "sorry to say it Kael'thas but you look to be about a buck fifty..."

Kael'thas laughed inspite of himself and gave a good-natured shrug.

"The heir to the Thalassian throne, a member of the Kirin Tor, friend to our Master Illidan, expert dodger of Jaina Proudmore's succubine advances, and summoner of happy little pet phoenixes..."

"That's enough, Sunthraze."

"And no less beloved by the Blood Elf people, the one and only," he bowed elegantly, "Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider!"

Illidan was the first to roar forth a cheer. Many wise people in the Black Temple instantly followed his example.

Sunthraze cheered too and clapped with the bloodthirsty crowd, getting them even more excited.

"Alright gentlemen, you know the rules. No hitting, kicking, punching, or..." he eyed Kael'thas, "shooting of ginormous fireballs below the belt. Just a good, old-fashioned, courtly fist fight. Oh, and certainly no targeting of anyone's royal family jewels or wanton acts of regicide." in a flash, Sunthraze became a concerned Bloodknight again and glared at General Blaize.

"Fine." Blaize grunted. Kael'thas chuckled, and gave his assent as well.

"Alright everyone! This is the showdown you've all been waiting for. Let's get ready to RUUUUUMMMMMBLE!" Then, Sunthraze let his arm drop between the two men and hopped backwards out of the way with graceful elven agility.

He ended up next to Saturna who was leaning against the wall. "I hate you." she said. "You are running sooo many laps around the Black Temple for this."

Sunthraze snaked an arm around her shoulders, grinned, and got comfortable. "Lookit, Saturna. I'm on a date with you, front seats at the match of the century, and those two could care less. Pretty sly, even for me, huh? Now how's that for a sweep-me-off-my-feet moment?"

Saturna had a hard time telling whether or not Sunthraze was joking, which disturbed her.

Blaize unstrapped his red breastplate that covered his upper body and tossed it aside with his plate gauntlets. They clattered loudly against the wall. "You gonna' fight in that dress, Kael'thas?" he smirked.

Kael'thas quickly had his red robe up over his head and off in a matter of moments. He wore a dark silk shirt and slacks underneath. "Fine, but it's not my fault if your woman enjoys the show." he rolled up his sleeves.

Kael'thas was the first one to throw a punch. It was instantly clear that he had no idea what he was doing.

Blaize easily dodged and struck back. The General's left could be heard, and for that matter, it was so loud the audience also felt the pain Kael'thas experienced. Winces of sympathy came from the audience. Even the Demons turned away briefly.

Kael'thas got up on unsteady legs.

Fennore nodded at Sunthraze who announced, "He's alright folks. We'll get more rounds out of him yet!"

Having learned his lesson, Kael'thas decided not to go on the offensive again. Blaize circled in and threw another hard left. Kael'thas dodged, but it was a fake. Blaize came in with an even stronger right and Kael'thas was again knocked off his feet.

"Now will you admit that you've picked a fight with the wrong person?" Blaize asked him. "Promise to leave Saturna be, and we can end this now."

Kael'thas said nothing but got up again. He crouched low, but it wasn't because he was planning anything sneaky. The room was spinning...

Blaize hit him again, but Kael'thas stood his ground. He hit him once more, and then a third time. The Prince got a bloody nose, a bruised cheek, a black eye... but he wouldn't go down again. Then Blaize got annoyed with him. He took his time, reared back and landed a blow in the same place that Kael'thas had hit him when this whole thing started.

One could hear the air escape his lungs... but after leaning over for a few moments, Kael'thas got back up again. Then, strangely enough, Kael'thas stood up straight and tall like nothing happened. He looked General Blaize up and down.

"Are you certain that was your very best?"

General Blaize looked around, surprised. "Um... yes. That was meant to knock you out–"

"It didn't hurt at all!" Kael'thas started laughing.

Back in the crowd, Lord Illidan smiled evilly.

"Wait..." Blaize started to catch on. "Just what is going on here–"

Kael'thas hit Blaize in the mouth as he spoke. While he was reeling from that, Kael'thas punched him again, and then another time... he focused all his swift blows entirely on the man's face.

"That's cruel," Fennore gasped. "Even if I were to heal him after all that..."

Blaize ducked Kael'thas' next blow and rammed into him using a shoulder. Both men fell to the ground. They locked arms and wrestled each other for dominance. Blaize was heavier... he should have come out on top, but somehow Kael'thas overpowered him.

The crowed loved the unanticipated twist. They screamed for more blood. Kael'thas immediately took that opportunity to pummel Blaize's face again.

Saturna pinned herself against the wall, terrified to let go their weapons and intervene.

Just when it looked like Blaize couldn't take any more, the general sat up and headbutted Kael'thas. He pitched backward and rolled over onto the floor beside Blaize. For a few dazed moments, both men dazed at the dark vaulted ceiling many stories above.

"You... cheated..." Blaize said as soon as he could manage.

"Pot." Kael'thas struggled for breath, "Kettle... black. Now... you know how it feels."

Both took a long time getting back up. They staggered around, raising fists and then shaking out their sore hands. Even threatening to attack hurt now.

"It was fair play, Kael'thas." Blaize spoke in the interim. "No different from what I would have done back home, in Court."

Kael'thas balked at him. "Are we in Silvermoon City? Does this _look_ like the Court of the Sun to you? And people call _me_ pretentious..."

Blaize stopped pacing. "This is foolishness! Even if we fight over Saturna, it won't accomplish anything. She has her own mind!"

"I know that, Blaize. I assumed that you had the same desire as I... a chance to hit you." Kael'thas smirked. He seemed to recover from the blows fast and began to maneuver about quickly, readying for another strike.

Blaize raised his eyebrows. _I know I'm not that old..._ "We are mismatched, Kael'thas. Let's settle this another way," He raised his open palms, conciliatory...

Kael'thas whirled around and kicked Blaize in the face. He fell. "Didn't know I could do that, did you? I've had enough rogues kick me over the years–"

Kael'thas was suddenly swept off his feet when General Blaize got low and used his own kick.

The fight only escalated from there. Kael'thas was not very skilled, but determined and learning fast. Blaize was a professional combatant but steadily losing strength. Some hours passed and it became clear how Kael'thas was winning. Lord Illidan rarely appeared in public, and even more rarely smiled... but he looked oddly pleased with his ally. People in the crowd began to notice the over-confidence, the premature victorious smirk...

"Stop!" Saturna finally ran in and pushed them apart. Blaize slipped on the ground, in a slick of sweat, but scrambled to get back up. Kael'thas staggered back then tried to urge the woman aside. "Are you both mad? People died today! Maybe there was victory, but there was also death... this is not the way to honor their sacrifice, by fighting over who will take me home as some prize!"

They tried to shoulder past her. Saturna drew both the Mageblade and Blaize's sword on them at once. She turned both white.

Illidan shook his head with disappointment. Massive curved horns caught the attention of everyone in the audience. Then, he quietly turned to leave. Some Demon lackeys went with him, and with those the Fel Orcs, the Naga...

"It's a draw! No one gets their money back!" Pyorin called after. There was some disapproving snarling and clacking of jaws, but in a place where Illidan was king, no one dared go against the Demon's mood. The seething disinterest settled on everyone, except for Kael'thas and Blaize.

"Fine. If I can't finish this fight, then I'll get Saturna back some other way."

"A way befitting of a gentleman?" Blaize almost snorted, "You're not capable of it." then he bowed sarcastically, "My Prince."

Kael'thas turned his back and walked away. "You're terrified because you know that I just now started to fight for her, and you can feel the pain, the results... And if you think using Demon strength to beat your ass was something," his mocking voice echoed off the old stained walls, "Try and weather the storm that comes, when the Prince of Quel'thalas courts a woman."

When he was gone, Saturna lent Blaize her shoulder and she helped him to limp home.

Far away, Kael'thas laughed and his words carried in the silent temple, a heavy condemnation. "You haven't seen a damn thing yet, Nathaniel Blaize!"

Author's Note:

Edited this chapter since it was posted... fixed a part where Saturna mistakenly tells Fennore to finish the Paladin off. Now, it properly shows Saturna telling Sunthraze to finish Anchorite Paelan the Whitewell off. It's important later... That's all.


	13. Loving the Damned, Part I

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Thirteen: Loving the Damned, Part I**

"Nate, stop it!" Saturna batted his hand out of the way. "Are you really going to be this stubborn, because Kael'thas beat you up? Now let me take a look at that eye."

The skin was bruised purple the ridge above his eyebrow scarred... if one looked close enough it looked like a certain royal shoeprint...

Nate Blaize finally stood still, but he frowned at her. "Kael'thas did _not_ beat me up. It was a draw."

Saturna flushed when she realized the mistake she made. She didn't dare apologize and draw attention to it, or else Blaize might think she'd been rooting for Kael'thas.

"Oh, this is very bad… Come on, let's go next door and wake Fennore."

"Leave it be!" he turned away from her and sat down in one of the rickety chairs at her tiny table. "I could just… ugh! I hate that Kael'thas! Must he flaunt his youth and talent at every available opportunity? You would think we were wolves, the way he struts about, forcing all of us to grovel before the Alpha male."

"Lower your voice, Nate."

Blaize was quiet for a moment, but he couldn't hold it in. He slammed his fist on the table, and Saturna jumped. "And he threatened both of us! Do you know what that means, 'You haven't seen a damn thing yet?' That's a threat, Saturna, a cold-blooded threat." He brooded to himself, "He's not capable of being a gentleman… he's going to come after us the same way he sizes up an enemy. First, he demoralizes the opponent, makes them incapable of seeing a way out of conflict." Blaize grunted. "Well, I can see you recoil when I look at you Saturna, we can check that one right off the list!" he threw his hands up in the air and started to pace. "Next, he's going to alienate me from you. He's going to work me over until he finds a weakness in our relationship and drive a wedge in it. Maybe it won't seem so obvious at first, because his enemies expect to be attacked… sometimes, he plays into their strength by luring them into a sense of security, then uses the slight of hand…" he rubbed his chin, thinking. "Third, after exploiting every weakness, after completely obliterating your defenses, he opens—and finishes—with his strongest attack. A true Bloodmage, he doesn't mind if the battle is long, the longer it takes the more damage he can do to you over time, while you sit and wonder if impending death will truly come… but when he thinks you've exposed yourself enough, and all the defenses down, you'd better believe… it's one gigantic fireball in the face!"

Saturna squinted an eye. "Nate… do you know how paranoid you sound?"

General Blaize went and sat down on the bed. "This used to be my room, you know."

Saturna remembered how the guys joked about Kael'thas having a crush on her back when they first arrived at the Black Temple. Sunthraze teased that he'd given her his General's room.

"He swept me aside, just like that. It didn't matter that I remained loyal to him throughout the scandal with the Scryers who defected. And after that he threatens to replace me, twice, then he attacks me, just this afternoon in front of everyone… when is this going to end? When will he have enough of emasculating me! I don't think I can take it anymore!"

"Nate… please, just calm down." She sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his broad shoulders.

"No! Not this time!" he broke out of her embrace and stood. "Saturna, I'm afraid there is only one way keep Kael'thas from meddling with us, and I think you know what it is." He glared at her. "He's a menace, and I should have done it a long time ago. Only, I was too polite…"

Saturna slowly stood. "Look here, I don't know what you think you're about to confess to me, but I warn you that I am a Bloodknight, first and foremost. I won't listen to any threats against him."

"Threat?" General Blaize began laughing like a madman. "This is no threat… it's a promise I intend to keep. It's no less than what he deserves, for going to such extraneous lengths to deny me happiness…"

Saturna reached for her sword, but Blaize closed in the distance and held her tight before she could get it in hand.

"Marry me."

Saturna had to ask him to say it again.

"Saturna, I love you. My timing is terrible, I know… but I've loved you for a long time. I was careful not to say anything, I didn't want to frighten you." Blaize looked dejected. "That damned Kael'thas! I wait months to tell you how I feel, and he steals my thunder." He relaxed his hold on Saturna and kissed her forehead. "We can be married by morning, and then he will have to respect our feelings for each other. My darling, you know it's the only way, your only choice in this situation." When she didn't answer right away, Blaize baited her, his tone turned vicious. "That is, unless the rumors are true, and my girlfriend _does_ enjoy Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider pursuing her like some rabid monster."

Saturna opened her mouth in wordless shock.

The sound of yelling and things breaking could be heard through the walls. Nextdoor, Fennore sat up in bed, and Pyorin pried an eye open.

"Aww come on!" Sunthraze shouted, but Saturna's yelling was louder than even his complaints.

"What in the hell is going on over there?" Fennore turned around and looked at the wall behind him.

"Lover's spat. We'd best just leave them be." Pyorin yawned, and drew the covers up over his head.

"By the Sun, I hope this isn't about his face… Kael'thas made me stay with him and heal him first… I tried to find General Blaize later, but he was already in with Saturna for the night, I just assumed—"

"Fennore, Kael'thas wasn't that bad off because of Illidan and everyone knows it. Did you really think that he kept you for the sake of his royal protection?" Sunthraze scratched his head and rolled over on his back in the top bunk. "Man, I have to admit that's smooth… he messed Blaize's face up on purpose."

Pyorin couldn't help laughing. "Heh. Reminds me of a time in Undermine when this Trade Prince broke a guy's thumbs when he refused to pay him back… as the Goblins say, what Kael'thas did was 'gangsta.'"

Fennore and Sunthraze gave Pyorin a look.

"What? It's not me who says it, it's the Goblins!"

At last came the slamming of doors.

"Heh. I bet she put him out." Sunthraze smiled in the dark.

But then there was a knock on their door, and it was obvious who'd lost the argument.

Fennore got up and let in a distraught Saturna.

"Commander… what's wrong?"

Saturna did another dramatic walk of shame into the center of their room, as she had on the night Kael'thas rejected her. She sniffled and her Bloodknights tried not to look too impatient while she worked up to telling them the horrible news. Fennore raised his arms defensively when Sunthraze and Pyorin shot him murderous looks for opening the door to Saturna in the first place.

"Blaize asked me to marry him."

"He WHAT!" Sunthraze flared. "That didn't sound like a proposal to me?"

Saturna dabbed at her eyes. "That's the problem. I really do care for him, but I think he's only doing it because he's afraid of Kael'thas. I… I don't know what to do."

"Say no!" Sunthraze stood right next to her.

"Sunthraze, this isn't our business—" Pyorin warned.

"Like hell it isn't! That's not the way you win over a woman, by taking her choices away."

Saturna shrugged. "But what he said makes sense… even if I _was_ interested in Kael'thas, which I'm not—"

"Which you _are_." Fennore calmly amended for her.

Saturna looked at him, but kept going. "It doesn't matter… besides him being an incredibly dangerous man, I wouldn't have a future with Kael'thas. I'd only end up being his mistress. I wouldn't want that." Then she bowed her head. "Alright, I don't mind that, really… but after a while I'd want more. I know myself too well. At least Nate can offer me some kind of stable love… I realize that because of the war, we couldn't have a family, or a home of our own… but that's the point. Nate is the one who inspired me to hope for these kinds of things in the first place, despite our terrible situation."

"Saturna," Fennore put a hand on her shoulder. "Had it ever occurred to you that Blaize said those things on purpose at the start, because he wanted you all to himself as a wife in the first place? That it was his plan all along?"

"Well, he can be a bit clingy… but can you blame him? He's the General of all the Sunfury troops. There are only so many women he's allowed to date, as a superior officer."

"Saturna, just stop being so naive already! Come on!" Sunthraze grabbed her by the shoulders. "You are nineteen, by the Sun! Nineteen! Maybe Blaize isn't aware of exactly how young you are, but you'd better believe that he's damn sure of the age difference. He knows that you're new at this. He knows that you're confused and vulnerable… and I'm guessing you've never been in love before, either, because if you knew what real love felt like, you wouldn't be flitting between one man or the other. You'd know what you want!"

Pyorin scratched his chin, and conceded, "They're right, Saturna. Also, you don't seem to me the kind of woman who would stand for a man trying to sneak and marry her, fast, with no regard for her true feelings at all."

"But he's not being sneaky!" Saturna pleaded with them. "Nate loves me, he just wants to protect me from Kael'thas. You don't know Kael'thas like I do… he's dangerous."

"Everyone here is dangerous, Saturna. We all serve Lord Illidan." Fennore said. "And Pyorin and Sunthraze are right… Blaize is clearly trying to trap you into something that you don't want, or else you'd be celebrating with us right now."

Saturna got very quiet. She balled her hands into fists at her sides. "You all just don't get it. I don't want all this tension over me, I have to pick someone... and Blaize is the only one who understands." the confidence in her voice wilted. "I want a life with someone, and children... maybe it seems impossible, but if I deny Nate now, won't I be giving up on that hope forever? Would you really encourage me to do something like that? I thought you were my friends, that you cared about me..." Saturna rushed out, even more upset than before.

The Three Bloodknights looked at each other.

"I don't think I like General Blaize very much anymore." Fennore whispered.

Sunthraze waved his hand at him. "Oh, Blaize's just being jealous… I don't blame him. If I had to go up against Kael'thas for a woman, I'd probably snap too."

They all got back into bed.

The gentle clacking of Pyorin's cards broke the quiet in the room. "We can't let Blaize do this to her, you guys. It isn't right. I mean, it's one thing to fight for your woman, but quite another to take her choices away… she doesn't even see it. We are the only ones."

Sunthraze sighed. "I'm worried about her too, but we can't hammer it into her skull, or she'll resent us. If we tell Blaize to back off, then she'll be even more angry at us and probably just run to him… nor can we settle it over one of your clever little card games. It's a shame, but Saturna is stuck figuring it out by herself if she won't listen to her own friends."

It was Fennore who came up with it, who started the whole thing. "No… you're wrong, Sunthraze. The three of us have one very good card to play." He got out of bed and started to put on his black plate. "Come on, we don't have time to waste." He urged them up. "We're going to tell Kael'thas."

That night, on the other side of the Black Temple in the Golden Shrine, the three Bloodknights watched Kael'thas carefully as he paced.

"And all I had planned… was a surprise birthday ball for Saturna at the end of this month." He screwed up his face. "Well that's the last time _I _play fair."

Sunthraze nodded. "According to what you just told us, Blaize dared you to fight for her like a gentleman, and then turns around and attempts to bully Saturna into a marriage while no one's looking."

The Blood Elf Prince covered his mouth as he thought. "That sly old bastard… when I'm through with him, he's going to wish he never—" suddenly Kael'thas looked down at himself. "Who in the HELL cut my hair?!"

"Umm… my Prince?" Pyorin boggled.

Kael'thas seethed for a solid minute before coming back to the conversation. "Tell me, how long has it been like this?"

Sunthraze spoke up. "Prince Kael'thas, you _are_ a handsome man, but I really don't think this is the time—"

"Enough of your jokes! I'm not vain, when have you ever observed me to be vain? I just want a damn answer! When was the first time you saw me looking so foolish, with this lock nearly chopped completely off!" he pointed to one long tress of blonde hair that fell over his right shoulder and then the other that stopped just underneath his jaw.

"Umm… I believe I noticed it at the battle, My Prince." Fennore spoke up. "I thought it odd, but it seemed immaterial, with all the Paladins wanting to kill us, and then you summoned Illidan, and it flew right out of my mind."

Kael'thas cracked his knuckles as he thought about all the horrible things he was going to do to Advisor Sorn. "I felt so guilty about the fire that night… I had trouble sleeping, and that I was able to dream at all…" He knew Illidan's friends very well. In the Black Temple, there was only one reason for someone to cut your in the middle of the night.

"We have two traitors in our midst, gentlemen. Three, actually. One of them," he sighed, "I can't do a thing about right now, because she's very dangerous and it will take too long to sort it all out. But the other two…" he met their stymied looks with a fierce one of his own. "How do you all feel about helping me to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak?"

"No one… is really going to die, are they?" Fennore winced.

Kael'thas thought about it. "No, that won't be necessary. But if General Blaize is that afraid of what I'm going to do to him and his woman, then it would be a shame if I didn't live up to my infamy. I wouldn't want to disappoint him in any measure." He sneered. "The gloves are off."

The next morning, Kael'thas sat in a chair, strapping on his riding boots. Pyorin and Sunthraze stood at attention behind him in their menacing black plate.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty? I must say that…" Advisior Sorn's eyebrows raised. "No! You aren't going riding now, are you? You have a very strict schedule today; Lord Illidan will be very displeased—"

"Sorn, you are not to cancel any one of my meetings today, do you hear?"

"But—"

"You are going to wait here with me until I hear word that Saturna approaches. At that moment, you will let me get a good head start, and then let loose all that pent up frustration I know you have about my shirking responsibilities."

"My Prince! This is highly unacceptable! You want me to sabotage an entire year's worth of negotiations for a woman!"

Kael'thas stood and fetched his blue gloves from the desk. He folded over the edges to reveal excellent embroidery in silver thread.

"Sorn, I know that you can be bought. I certainly hope that I don't have to relinquish another lock of hair to Lady Vashj before you realize that I understand this all too well about you. You were lucky this time. Her dream opened my eyes and inspired me to fight for Saturna before I wasted my usual years sheepishly pining after a woman only to realize my mistake too late." Then, his calm detached tone became threatening. "Now, do as I say before I simply turn you over to these two." He nodded over his shoulder at Pyorin and Sunthraze who came forward, and drew weapons. "Have you ever been at the mercy of a Bloodknight before, Sorn? I'd rather have them punish you outright, but you being whole at present coincides with what I need to swiftly achieve today with Saturna."

Sorn swallowed at the looks the two angry Bloodknights gave him. "Yes… of course. Your will be done, My Liege. And so that I might know exactly why you've chosen to be so gracious… may I ask what your goals with the lady are?"

Kael'thas grinned wickedly, and finished pulling the last glove tight over his knuckles. "I went through all the possible scenarios in my head last night. I have, at most, only a few hours to change Saturna's mind about me before Blaize gets wise and creates too many complications. That's going to require some investigation my part, and a bit of seduction…We need to be completely alone if I'm going to get to her, since Blaize already knows how I work. Now, remember, I want you frantic today, this has to look spur of the moment, authentic. As far as you know, I'm coming right back, which of course… I won't be. And don't you dare think of telling Lady Vashj and feeding the Naga rumor mill… I have no idea what she's really up to, but it doesn't matter right now. I need Saturna first, and these two are going to watch you like hawks all day to make sure things go well."

He reminded the Bloodknights, "Remember, I want General Blaize out of my hair too. Keep him busy, I don't care how."

Then Kael'thas got his riding crop, and in a sudden flare of his temper, cracked it in the air. Sorn jumped, and Sunthraze started laughing at the poor man.

Fennore entered the room then. "Good news, I convinced her to come and ask you about Illidan again." He smiled, "And… I couldn't help putting in a good word for you, Kael'thas. She is now very curious to see how well your face mended after the fight."

Kael'thas clapped Fennore on the back. "Excellent job, Fennore the Immortal. And to all of you," he waved a jubilant goodbye after grabbing a panicked Sorn by the scruff of his collar. "Thank you for giving me the edge. I won't soon forget the effectiveness of Bloodknights."

And so, Kael'thas fixed it so that Saturna could tell herself that she wasn't exactly disregarding Blaize's feelings. She saw Kael'thas rushing down the Main Causeway, as she just happened to be walking in the direction of the Golden Shrine and simply decided to take advantage of the situation.

"I want to know what's going on with you and Illidan." She said to him in a low tone, and grabbed his shoulder in a gauntleted hand to make him stop.

Kael'thas opened his mouth to say something, but checked behind him and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her into a run.

"Kael'thas!" she tried to get away.

"Do you want your ear talked off? To be stuck here in this hallway for hours?"

Saturna noticed his blue riding clothes, and then followed his look to see Advisor Sorn walking briskly towards them. Despite her frustration with him regarding other things, she couldn't help but laugh. Advisor Sorn did everything short of run after the Prince. He kept calling to Kael'thas in a very controlled tone of voice to come back and authorize this or that, a heavy ledger stuffed with loose official-looking papers under one arm.

Kael'thas winked at Saturna, then said a loud goodbye to Advisor Sorn.

"Sorry to do this to you in the middle of the day, but as you can see, I have no choice." He said to her quickly. "Come with me, though, and I'll explain everything."

Saturna didn't have time to agree. He abruptly turned them down a dark corridor. For a few panicked moments, she was only aware of his strong hand clamped over her wrist. She realized that it was beginning to hurt. When Saturna could see Kael'thas again, they were racing up a flight of ruined stairs. A small ball of flame hovered over Kael'thas' palm, and he used it like a torch.

Then, suddenly, they were on the roof. A grimacing Fel Orc saluted Kael'thas, which he delighted in by flashing Saturna a private smile. It was meant for herself and her Bloodknights for having done such a great job with the Demons.

Then, he stood against the wind and summoned his phoenix mount. Kael'thas looked at Saturna curiously, and she tried harder not to like the sight of him using magic so much.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Kurgal, go get Mistress Saturna's flying mount."

The red Fel Orc rolled his shoulders, and gaped at Kael'thas. "She not have flying mount, Prince."

A very awkward moment passed between the three of them. Saturna blushed.

"Reaaaally?" Kael'thas' fiery steed was indeed his creation. It tossed its head back and laughed when he did. "Who would have guessed that you've been living in the Black Temple all this time, and have no flying mount?" Sarcasm tinged his voice. "Oh, this will be great fun. Here," he offered her a hand up. "You can sit up front."

Saturna eyed the bird made of fire warily. "We aren't going very far, are we? I can't be gone all day…"

Just then, she heard the voice of Advisor Sorn. He was irate, and running up the stairs.

"Come on, Saturna!" Kael'thas thrust his hand out to her again. She saw the fiery phoenix and remembered the time when he set his room on fire. If she went, she would be trapped with him again.

But then a daring impulse seized her. This could be her only chance to ride on a phoenix.

Saturna took his hand, and Kael'thas lifted her up into the saddle. Halfway there, she abruptly grabbed a hold of his shoulders and swung astride behind him. "It's far more proper." She gruffly explained.

Kael'thas laughed again, and the creature's musical cry chimed after his. "Suit yourself then." He kicked it with his heels and the phoenix ascended. The phoenix spied Sorn, and flapped its wings, eliciting fierce gale. It caused Advisor Sorn to grasp for his hat and all his documents went flying. Kael'thas actually laughed at him.

"That was mean, Kael'thas." Saturna admonished.

"No it wasn't." he said and shrugged, completely serious. When he saw Fennore, Sunthraze, and Pyorin close in on Sorn, he urged his mount up and away.

He circled them gracefully for a bit, gaining altitude and then pulled the reigns. Saturna was forced to wrap her arms around his waist from behind or fall off. Then he shouted a command, and the phoenix bolted forth like a comet in a flurry of crackling flame and red wings.

Saturna shut her eyes and held onto Kael'thas for dear life. The ride was not steady like a trained wyvern, but frenzied and erratic. The speed they were traveling stole the breath from her mouth.

"We're out far enough to talk privately now," he slowed the phoenix so that he could shout over the rushing air, "but I don't think you'll appreciate it very much." Kael'thas snickered. "I'll let us down over there. Look! Saturna, we've come to Nagrand already."

Saturna opened her eyes to see them plummeting through a perfect blue sky at an insane speed and cursed Kael'thas.

"I think I like it when you call me names out of passion… though they aren't the right ones." He teased her.

Finally, they slowed to a stop. His phoenix, whom Kael'thas called Skybender, chimed happily and bowed its head before it desummoned.

A ruined Draenei city was far beneath them to the north. Immediately below them was a crystal blue lake. Kael'thas alighted them on one of many floating islands of earth that existed in the Nagrand sky. Some off in the distance had trees growing on them. Theirs had only one tree to share, and a beautiful waterfall that poured down several tiers. Very romantic.

"I should have known you would pick this one." Saturna put her hands on her hips. "Now, what is it you've done with Illidan?"

Kael'thas sat down under the lone tree and patted the sparse grass beside him.

Saturna paced warily before sitting down. Then, once seated, she scooted away from him. Kael'thas shook his head, disappointed.

After taking a breath to relax, Kael'thas set his insistent flirting aside and got serious. "Fine, we'll get right down to business first. Illidan is becoming a Demon, Saturna. Many people think that he is a full Demon already, but he isn't. The transition terrifies him and I am helping him through it… my confidence is precious to him. That is why I had to bring you out here to talk."

"So… you aren't his master?"

"No! That would be incredibly dangerous… don't you give me more credit than that?" A wind came and pushed blonde hair into his face, and he swept it back out of the way, annoyed. "What you saw the other day was not me summoning him, exactly. I was merely calling Illidan to myself, using my abilities as a warlock. It is something that Illidan has begged me to do many times since I met him. I was able to resist until yesterday when your life was in danger. I feared that exercising any kind of power over him would tempt me too much, even though he finds being treated like a Demon slave comforting."

Saturna started asking questions immediately, but Kael'thas raised a hand for her to stop. "Please let me finish, before you assume the worst. It's complicated, and easy to misunderstand the nature of our partnership." He took a deep breath, and continued, "I said a little about this earlier, when I gave your Bloodknights their missions regarding the Naga, the Demons and the Sunfury. Demons need to be intimidated, because that is how they think: master and slave. Because certain humanoid races are willing to train their people to understand this concept, they are able to have warlocks. In the world of Demons, you are either all-powerful, or you are subjugated, as simple as that. If you aren't another Demon's slave then you are as good as dead. If you are enslaved, then you are protected from other powerful Demons by your master. Not that that kind of existence is ideal. It is merely preferable to being hunted down and killed by your enemies."

Kael'thas paused. "In fact, that is why I gave your Bloodknights what seemed like petty missions, in such short order. I… wanted to give Illidan a reason not to kill them."

Saturna looked up, surprised.

"As a Demon… or a Night Elf man progressing toward full demonhood, it wasn't exactly clear to me how Illidan would react to your men when they arrived." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's different for you, Saturna, because… well it's obvious that you are a woman I want. Like other creatures, Demons understand about desire and the territory that comes with mates."

"But Kael'thas, we aren't—"

"I know." He said, rather angrily. "But what I'm trying to express here is… Illidan understands that, in a sense, you belong to me, and I am like his equal. For that reason, he wouldn't hurt you. Right now, your men belong to the Naga, or the Demons or the Sunfury… Illidan is master of the first two. The last group belongs to me, and so they all serve him through their factions, in addition to being my security officers, just to be on the safe side. Don't worry, Saturna, their lives are perfectly safe now. I ensured that."

"How are you Illidan's equal? You just said that Demons only understand master and slave relationships."

Having explained everything he set out to, Kael'thas yawned, which was infuriating. They were talking about deadly circumstances, but he did not seem to mind the danger in the least. "How are you and Blaize doing these days?"

"Kael'thas, stay focused. Are you in any danger with Illidan?"

Kael'thas frowned. "When I met Illidan, he was not a full Demon yet, nor is he now. He is my friend. I even think that… my being a warlock enables our friendship where others certainly tried and failed. Lady Vashj, for instance, has to work very hard each day to stay on Illidan's good side. I realize that she has powerful glamours, but I still wonder how she's managed it for so long..." He leaned back and stretched out on the small expanse of grass.

"Anyways, so you see, there is nothing to worry about."

Saturna was tempted to lay down too… but then she would be lying down beside Kael'thas.

He sensed the tension. "Saturna… I am truly sorry about the fire. I'd like to make it up to you today."

Saturna looked over her shoulder. Kael'thas was enticing lying in the tree's shade. He was so relaxed, as if he hadn't a care in the world. His pleasure at having stolen away from hectic real life to a beautiful place with a beautiful woman was obvious from his charming smile. Even now, after everything, she was painfully aware of how handsome he was. It was incredibly flattering to feel wanted by someone so clever and attractive… and she had to admit, the power she knew he wielded... the capacity to summon even Lord Illidan! It amazed her that so much powerful magic could be pent up in one man. Even if he could be mean at times, it was very tempting to ignore Kael'thas' flaws and just give into his fantasy.

Being around Kael'thas, the man himself… was like an addiction. And to go a step further and be inside of that inner circle, of people he actually liked and appreciated… there was no greater ego stroke. It was deeply satisfying to know Kael'thas Sunstrider, personally.

Saturna forced herself to turn around again, and look at the naked blue sky. "Why did you have to bring me all the way out here… just to tell me that? We couldn't have gone into a private room, or for a discreet walk around the Black Temple?"

"Damn." Kael'thas said. Saturna almost laughed at the comical let down in his voice. "I'd almost forgotten about that part, the Soul Link."

"Soul… wha--?" it sounded vile, and he spoke about it so casually.

"Illidan can sense what I'm feeling. It's not the same as… let's say a Mind Vision spell. But he _is_ aware of what I'm doing nearly all of the time, because we're so close. Sometimes our sense of what each other is feeling is so perfect it's as if we share thoughts and words. But in reality, it's only strong emotion."

Saturna was disturbed to learn this. "Can he… is he here with us now?"

Kael'thas grunted a little as he shifted his weight to get comfortable. "In the tiniest way, yes. That is why I brought you out here, though. He can't really sense what I'm feeling right now because of the distance, though our bond can never be broken. I could be back on Azeroth and…" Kael'thas' brow furrowed when he realized where his thoughts were leading him. "Even if I were on another planet… Illidan would be able to sense me, to find me."

Saturna said this very slowly. "Kael'thas. Are you so very sure that he isn't already your Demon pet? It sounds like… like a warlock spell."

He shrugged against the grass and you could hear it rustle. "Well that's the whole point, silly. It _is_ a warlock spell. When Illidan gave me that precious knowledge, of how to safely feed our racial addiction… I gave him the comfort of my soul, in exchange."

"Kael'thas! That's terrible!"

"No it isn't." he sounded offended. "As Blood Elves, our bodies were deteriorating because of an addiction to arcane magic. Illidan will be physically strong for the rest of his immortal life, but mentally? Emotionally? Those parts of him are fading fast. It's complex… but I'm not making too grand of a generalization when I say that full Demons don't have consciences. Illidan was aware of the problem when we met, but he didn't know how to stop it. It truly upset him when I told him there was no way to stop it. Can you imagine what that would be like, to have so much power but no longer any regard for the people you care about, or have allied yourself with? I'm a little surprised that more people loyal to him in Outland haven't caught on, it's so obvious. Well, there _are_ rumors of Illidan's madness… but truly, it's far worse a problem than that. I was moved by his plight, Saturna. I offered to help him."

After a pregnant silence, Kael'thas added, "And I am glad that I did. I've never felt so strong, or so close to anyone before… it's like I'm a whole new person, Saturna. And summoning him yesterday made me even stronger. I know that you were wondering how I beat up Blaize." He chuckled. "I feel as if nothing can stop me now."

"I won't lie to you, Kael'thas. This sounds… incredibly dangerous. And… I would also say that I fear Illidan tricked you into this arrangement, when you were especially vulnerable… but I sense you've already considered that possibility. You must be aware of it; you're too smart to miss something like that."

Saturna felt his fingers brush over her skin, in a place where her breastplate didn't completely cover her back.

"Why do you never wear a cape?" he asked.

"You're changing the subject."

"No I'm not. I'm going to answer your accusations." Irritation weighted his tone. "And you never wear a shirt under your armor. Why not?"

Saturna allowed herself to lean back on her hands, because she was tired of sitting up so straight where it was uncomfortable at the edge of the rock. All that to get as far as she could from Kael'thas while they were alone. She felt more of his warm fingers caressing her when she leaned in. It caused her to only exhale slowly when she was ready to admonish him. "Because it's sexy." She breathed.

Kael'thas' hands stopped. "What did you say?"

Saturna cleared her throat and composed herself. "I'm a woman, Kael'thas. Sometimes… I just want to be different from the other Bloodknights. Maybe it's the girlish side of me that wants to show a little skin, as if I were at court… Oh, I don't know. I have to do _something_ to feel like a woman each day, or else I'd go mad."

Kael'thas returned to rubbing her back. "I never thought about you that way."

"But you do think about me. How…" she inhaled sharply, "Very interesting. Kael'thas, stop."

"You're going to have to make me." He pushed his hand further along her back, began to pull at the ties that fastened her breastplate. Saturna turned around and seized his wrist.

"I have a boyfriend," she reminded him. "And you're about to get to second base with me."

Kael'thas started to laugh. "So I am."

"Why _are_ you flirting with me all of a sudden? I thought you would 'put my life in danger' and all that?" she mocked him and raised an eyebrow. "And you said that I was obsessed, that you didn't want to encourage my madness or I'd become a monster or something. What's wrong with you! Why are you flirting with me now? And what happened to you being nervous around me?"

Kael'thas smiled mischievously.

Saturna folded her arms across her chest. "Kael'thas, you're wrong. Summoning Illidan changed you far beyond enhancing your physical strength… you aren't acting at all the way you were when you first gave up the arcane crystals. If you tell me that this is the way you normally are… a shameless flirt, a braggart, overconfident… an all out jerk… I won't believe you." Saturna turned angry eyes on him. "You are addicted to something else, and I think we both know what it is."

He turned away from her, and snapped a delicate blade of grass.

"So... we're back on this subject again." he sighed. "Saturna, I can't be who I was in Dalaran. I'm no longer innocent, and I'm no longer a fool."

Saturna felt her hackles rise. This conversation was getting risky. She sensed that she was prodding deeper than anyone had before. Kael'thas was putting up walls around himself, where earlier he was being frank with her regarding Illidan.

His gaze fixed on the destroyed tendril of life in his palm. He began to singe it.

"Kael'thas," Saturna warned him.

He said nothing. His lip curled into a snarl. The plant began to burn. "This… man who spoke up for you. The man who challenged his own General for you, beat him up when he mistreated you… the man who summoned Illidan, used his Demon strength on a whim… who summons a phoenix and whisks you away from the Black Temple, to have you all to himself? That is the man I want to be. That is who I am now, and I refuse to go back."

His eyes weren't bloodshot. His hands didn't tremble. But Saturna knew, somehow, though she wasn't a warlock… that Kael'thas could still overdose.

"You are hurting yourself." She accused.

"Then that is who I am, a man who hurts himself. But I am doing it so that I will continue to survive, at any cost. I don't have a choice, Saturna. I must be stronger. Please don't try to change me again." He abruptly brushed the black ash from his palm. "And furthermore, I'm the only one alive capable of helping Illidan, for the good of everyone. Please don't worry about me."

Saturna's shoulders sagged as the true weight of Kael'thas' decisions over the last year began to sink in.

"Is Blaize your very first boyfriend, Saturna?" he abruptly asked her next.

Saturna hesitated. "Well…"

"Ah, so he is. You have absolutely no idea what you are doing then. No wonder you got so close to him so fast…" he raised his hands defensively in front of his face. "I'm not talking about sex, so don't hit me… though I'm not exactly complaining about what your pattern of behavior regarding such things so far... is starting to suggest about what a catch you are." He smirked, then cleared his throat and got serious again when he saw her reaction. "Saturna, I'm talking about emotional intimacy. You act like you love him… but you don't, do you?"

Saturna hesitated. "I like him very much…"

"Because he's good in bed? Because he's a nice guy? Because he gives you shiny things?"

Saturna bristled.

"Whatever that is, it isn't love Saturna…" Kael'thas gazed off into the distance. "Love is when you can't stop thinking about someone despite the hell that has become your life. But out of the nightmare, here you come—and I recognize you at last—the one Blood Elf alive who knows absolutely everything about me," he lowered his voice, thinking aloud. "Yes, that's true. Now you know _everything_ about me," he looked up at her. "And you haven't run away, have you? You accept me for who I am." This caused him to smile.

"Kael'thas, I admire your strength, but still, there are a lot of things you do that I don't agree with—"

"What is it like, when he sleeps with you?" he quickly changed the subject again.

Saturna stiffened. "Kael'thas! I can't talk to you about that…"

"No, I truly want to know. How does he make you feel…" his chest expanded as he took an angry breath. "It must be that, the thrill of being with someone older—"

"It's not that! I feel safe with Nate." Then her voice lowered, "Though… it's a bit unsettling… there's a hint of desperation in everything he does for me… I get the feeling that he believes this is his last chance at happiness with a woman." She rubbed her arm.

"He's right." Kael'thas said and surprised her. "It's the same thing I've come to realize. I know the fear that Blaize knows. This is not just about having you… everything that's happened over the last year has proven to me that this is absolutely my last chance at having anyone at all." He became solemn. "You saw what the Shatar nearly did to us. Illidan has gathered us all here at the Black Temple… but with every day that passes, it feels like we are making our final stand here in Outland. The Alliance has come, and the Horde… they aren't supposed to be working together, but they are. They are systematically unraveling every progress Illidan has ever made. Even the Burning Legion suffers because of it… they are also afraid. And Saturna, we are in the precarious position of being at war on all those fronts."

Kael'thas chewed his thumbnail, nervous. "We won't last like this much longer. And I will have even less of a future once all of Silvermoon finds out what I've been doing. If they never forgive me…"

"We are allied with the Horde, Kael'thas! Surely, there are those among the Horde who've done selfish things, cruel things, in the name of survival. Don't discount yourself—"

"Lay down beside me, Saturna."

"Kael'thas! Stop changing the subject on me! Are you intentionally trying to throw me off? I'm starting to believe that Nate was right about you—"

"Saturna, I am trying to prove a point here. Please, just indulge me."

"Indulge you…" she griped. "Why do you men always say that, like I'm doing you a favor by being obedient for a change? I don't like what it implies you think about us women." But she lay down anyway.

"Now, take off my clothes."

"Kael'thas! Really!"

"Why not?"

Saturna furrowed her brow. "Because it's indecent for one, I'm committed to someone else…" she began to count all the reasons on her fingers, "And I don't know what you think this is going to illustrate. You're being tricky on purpose—"

"Why do you think that I'm fooling you?" he calmly asked.

"Because… it's such a random thing to ask."

"A strange request from Kael'thas Sunstrider, servant of Lord Illidan The Betrayer, or odd for the Prince of Quel'thalas to ask a woman he's interested in?"

Saturna was about to fly into another heated objection, when Kael'thas again cut her off. "There was a time when I could do this, and a woman could not say no to me. That was the world you grew up in. Now, you aren't bound by family pressure to become the Queen of Quel'thalas. It is no longer your duty to please and impress me at any cost." He paused for emphasis. "Nor can I walk right into the reformed Silvermoon City and demand that, based on my heritage, the Blood Elf people accept my actions unconditionally, for their own good, because I am naturally superior to them and know best. And the Horde is hardly a faction to fall on their knees in awe of my glory," he mocked himself, "and go along with whatever crimes I've committed, to get this far in Outland. Times have changed, Saturna. The Scryers left because they realized this about me, that I'm not infallible. You know this about me as well, and so when I ordered you to get me naked just now, you refused."

Saturna lowered her eyes. "I suppose you're right."

"You're not the only one upset about it. I was really hoping you would undress me… you know, the offer still stands." he reached down and took her hand.

Saturna smiled a little. "It would have been nice."

"Don't you trust me, Saturna? We can do this... we can be curious and explore our feelings at last." a sly smile grew on his face. "And I'm not desperate when I'm with a woman. I'm confident and... well, it's no good if I tell you. Come on, Saturna. No one will ever know." he leaned over and tried to kiss her.

Saturna was caught in the spell of his words, but pulled away at the last moment. "I trust you, my Prince. It is Nate Blaize who doesn't trust you. I wish to respect his feelings."

"So, if not for Blaize… we could possibly be…" he went for another kiss that Saturna didn't back away from...then Kael'thas yawned.

Saturna waited patiently for him to finish.

"Excuse me. Well, what I was going to ask is, if Blaize was not a concern, could I have finished undressing you…" He slipped a hand underneath the latch of her breastplate. One could see the resistance leave her features. She leaned into his touch, becoming submissive... then another yawn.

"Did you not sleep last night?" Saturna asked Kael'thas.

Kael'thas' eyes drifted shut, but then he blinked awake. "No… I mean… I had a lot to think about."

"Would you like to take a nap? I don't mind." Saturna looked at him fondly.

Kael'thas wasn't aware of much after she offered, just the satisfaction of feeling another body so close to his, and Saturna's head on his shoulder.

A bird chirping in a branch just overhead, and a surprising draft woke Kael'thas hours later.

He smiled at the vision of Saturna hugging his middle. Her breathing was even and she stirred gently. Kael'thas was about to wake her when she began talking to herself…

"Oh, my beautiful Kael'thas. The mouth is an amazing thing… did you know that?" Saturna exhaled a warm breath over his skin. Her fingertips traced a curious line down his bare chest and her lips followed close behind, leaving a trail of soft kisses. Kael'thas shuddered softly when her fingertips slid inside the waistband of his pants.

Then he took a slow, deep breath, as if he were still asleep. He dared not move.

Saturna kissed his belly button and trailed lower, over the taught muscles. "Taste is far superior to all the other senses. When you take something into your mouth, like a cherry for instance, you never forget that sensation. You smooth your tongue around it. Without seeing it, you can sense its shape. The gentle cleft that runs lengthwise on one side of it, the indentation at the top where the stem is broken off from the tree… you can feel how taught the skin is, and know how ripe the fruit is instantly. I also have a theory, Kael'thas…" she reached further inside his pants, began to stroke him, "That when you take something into your mouth, it is a way of imprinting it in your mind forever, the way you never could with your hands, or just by looking at it." He could feel her hand fill in all the space between the cloth and his hot skin. "These days… I can see a cherry and know exactly how it should feel in my mouth. Whether it is near or far… still on the tree, or locked in a crate with other cherries, or merely in my mind, in a dream for instance… because I've tried it, just one precious time," she lay her head against his stomach, closed her eyes against the temptation just a few inches beneath her lips, through the fabric. "I will always know, very intimately, its essence. I carry it with me always." Then she sounded upset. "No one can ever take it away from me."

Kael'thas could only grab handfuls of grass and wait.

"What would an obsessed fangirl do in this situation, hmm? That is what you called me, I remember. But your opinion doesn't matter now, does it? I finally have you all to myself, and I've been dreaming of doing this to you, for years… doing this and everything else." She straddled him. Kael'thas remembered to close his eyes at the last minute. He felt Saturna unfasten his pants, slip them off.

There was a long silence. Kael'thas felt her eyes on him. "You know, sometimes I hate Nathaniel Blaize. He shuns me for wanting to try this, tells me that it's beneath me. And all I want to do is love a man, in my own way…like I just explained to you, Kael'thas." She spoke again, and her breath was tantalizingly close. "But maybe if I do this to you… no matter what happens… you will always be with me."

It was a good thing that Kael'thas wanted to see Saturna do it more than he wanted to pretend to be asleep. "Umm… Saturna?"

The woman yelped and almost fell over. "Aha! You're awake…" she flushed red.

"I am going to ask you to run me through with a sword later, for making you stop… but for now, please turn around."

She was confused, but Kael'thas was serious. Saturna looked over her shoulder.

"Oh shit."

A group of Horde on wyverns hovered mere feet away from them.

"And there are Alliance too…" Kael'thas whispered to her. "I think we're surrounded. I tried praying, trust me, I did everything within my mental powers to shoo them away… but love, I just don't think our special moment was meant to be." Then he scowled, and said aloud, "Damn all of you to hell!"

The Orcs and Trolls on their wyverns started to laugh at him. "A'dal would send the same message to you, Prince Kael'thas, we're sure of it." One of them said. The Alliance soaring on gryphons overhead shouted a similar message.

Saturna stood, and Kael'thas got up behind her. "You idiot!" she flared. "Now I recognize that Draenei city… what possessed you to set us down right over Halaa?!"

"And Halaa is…?"

"You flew your phoenix right over certain places when you first came to Outland, didn't you? That's a major battle site beneath us, the Alliance and Horde are always fighting down there, for honor. Now we're cornered on this stupid floating rock, me without my sword and… by the Sun! You haven't got any clothes on! What in the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Kael'thas reached around and held her possessively. He eyed the enemy. "I don't know, Saturna, but you're going to have to explain to me later why that Troll is wearing my clothes and I've got nothing on at all."

Saturna winced, "You were asleep! I didn't think you'd notice… anyways, after I took them off, a wind came and they fell… I was going to go and get them for you but then I remembered that I don't have a flying mount, and I didn't want to leave you up here alone. And then you were sleeping so peacefully, so I didn't want to wake you. The Troll must have found them on the ground and then come up here to see for himself…"

Kael'thas almost cried into Saturna's shoulder. "Now I'm going to die naked with this stupid smile on my face, and absolutely nothing to show for it. Everything was going so perfectly…"

Author's Note:

If you pull up my profile, then click on My Forums (and are a registered fanfictiondotnet user), you should see a link to the My Life for My Prince forum I created. I intend it to be a place for you and I address questions about the story/make comments without having to wait for an update just to submit reviews. And, from time to time, I'll be putting some silly story-related things up there, when I feel impulsive. I hope you drop by!


	14. Loving the Damned, Part II

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Fourteen: Loving the Damned, Part II**

Saturna backed them up against the tree. Kael'thas, who wasn't wearing anything cringed.

"Nothing on my bare bottom… tree bark." He made a face.

"Oops! I'm so sorry about this, Kael'thas. Please don't be mad."

The Trolls and Orcs on wyverns readied their weapons. By the look of it, they knew everything about Kael'thas Sunstrider. Some of them eyed Saturna with seething hatred. Clearly, they'd heard about what she and her Bloodknights did to the Draenei Paladin too. It was grim confirmation that Sunthraze and the others had left the body in a place where the Shatar could find it.

"I'm not mad at you, my love." Kael'thas kissed her neck, despite their impending doom. "You're the one who decided to strip me naked and give me some sort of fangirl massage while I was unconscious… and then go for a happy ending on top of everything else. So, when am I getting that Blessing of Salvation? I thought your Bloodknight instinct would have kicked in by now…"

Saturna cast two golden shields around them both. "You have less time than I have," she told him.

Kael'thas began conjuring Skybender. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Saturna. I'd give my life for you if it ever came to that."

She didn't get a chance to either thank him or tell him how reckless that sounded. He got into the saddle and helped her up in front of him just as their shields petered out. A barrage of magical attacks were unleashed upon them immediately. A Human warrior in spiked plate charged down out of the sky at Kael'thas, after jumping from his Gryphon above.

Kael'thas had been ready for it. He unleashed a burst of flame that was so searing hot it burned blue. It incinerated everything that dared get close to them, even spells.

Saturna was amazed.

"I only get one of those every few days, Saturna. Now brace yourself!" he pulled on the reigns and Skybender sang victoriously as Kael'thas took them through the hole of airspace he forged. Saturna felt a pang of guilt when she spied the island of earth from above. The spring of water had been evaporated, the tree she and Kael'thas spoke and argued under, been romantic under was now nothing but a burnt out blackened husk.

It was a lifetime ago that Saturna mourned for an enemy. This allowed her to appreciate what came next. She saw, from a perspective that few people alive ever got to see, Kael'thas Sunstrider unleash horrible shadow and fire spells at individual targets and kill them in seconds. The way he targeted people seemed haphazard in the battle with the Shatar just yesterday. But now, Saturna understood that he took out people with quick calculated judgment. All the healers went first, then the delicate casters with the capacity to silence or hobble him magically, were overwhelmed by his intense fire spells. While he was thinking of whom to kill next, he cast curses down on anyone within reach, not daring to waste any moment of the fight.

Saturna watched him pause at one point while, for lack of her shields, she healed them through the damage. Kael'thas was looking for someone specific.

"There's a Paladin."

"Where?"

"I don't know, but I can tell that there is an aura…" Skybender flapped his crackling red wings as Kael'thas brought them around. Then, once above their attackers, when they could have escaped, the Blood Elf Prince had the creature dive. In a deadly barrel roll, Kael'thas opened his arms, felt the air with flat palms, searching…

It wasn't until she felt his power pass through her own mana pool that she realized Kael'thas was sifting through other people's mana the way one navigated through a forest, by merely pushing people's essences, like underbrush, aside.

Then, as they soared out of the encroaching maelstrom, Saturna saw Kael'thas lash an arm out, and target a Dwarf Paladin barely visible in a gray thunderhead about a mile away. It was a wonder that Kael'thas even saw him… but that was the amazing thing about it. Kael'thas hadn't seen him, but used his magical acumen to hunt him, to the exclusion of all those others.

A mana tap so loud that it sounded like the breaking of bones, exploded from his palm, and caused the far away Dwarf to pitch forward in pain and fall out of the saddle. Though it was back in the direction they'd come, Kael'thas went for blood, for vengeance, and forced Skybender after the falling enemy. As they plummeted, Saturna saw that the paladin had cast a Divine Shield on himself. If not for their interference, he would have survived the fall.

But as the shield petered out, and it did seem that Kael'thas had timed it, he cast an enormous fireball against the updraft that Skybender took to keep from crashing into the ground. The fiery explosion that could melt even plate dared to look as beautiful as it was deadly in Saturna's eyes.

The relentless vengeance Kael'thas took on the Paladin cost them dearly. Skybender ascended into airspace that was crowded with angry Alliance and Horde fighters. Saturna did her best to heal them through it.

"Kael'thas," she managed over the wind whipping past them. "I have no mana, and no shields up… we may not make it."

"Is this the part where you tell me you're madly in love with me and then turn around in the saddle in a futile attempt to have sex with me before we die?" Saturna couldn't see but she felt his charming smile. He kissed her neck again. "Oh well, I suppose not. Keep your wits about you, Saturna. I have plenty of mana left."

Just as he said it, a hunter's arrow came and pierced Kael'thas' chest. He doubled over.

"Kael'thas!" Saturna screamed.

With amazing resolve, the Blood Elf prince raised a hand and cast an evil looking warlock spell at the quickly departing Night Elf hunter. Then, he reached around with a hand engulfed in flame to break the wooden shaft and get rid of the bloodied arrowhead that'd gone right through him.

Saturna grabbed the reigns, and encouraged Skybender to fly lower, out of range.

"Take us back up." Kael'thas panted.

Saturna strongly objected. "We don't need revenge right now, we need to get you back to the Black Temple!"

She glanced over her shoulder to see him pull the arrow out of his chest with his bare hands. His agonizing scream was terrible. The phoenix they rode cried pitifully with him.

"Revenge is strength!" Kael'thas found the will to say, as Saturna salvaged the last of her mana to heal him from the arrow. "Strength wells up from dignity! Dignity is endemic to all mortal life. If I take vengeance on them, they will lose strength, lose dignity, lose their mortal lives in a way so absolute and perfect… there can be no resurrection, no survival. In turn, mine is multiplied." He took the reigns from her. "Up, Skybender! Into the thick of it."

Saturna was screaming 'No', for them to stop. Kael'thas held her fast. "Listen to me, Saturna! Those are the rules. That is how you subjugate people, how you make them fear you. It allows you to thrive." He shook her to grab her attention and pointed. The Gryphons and Wyverns that hovered above them were no longer dots in the sky. "Look, Saturna, how they hesitate. We could be dead by now, but we aren't." he pointed at the Night Elf hunter. As he rejoined his comrades, a miasma of black magic erupted from him and killed everyone within range. "Seed of Corruption." He explained. Skybender chimed triumphantly. "Now they are confused. They want to run, or else fight each other… the fools."

"What you said… I thought it madness, but it's working, Kael'thas." Saturna opened her mouth in awe. They passed through a feathery white cloud, and on the other side were their attackers. Saturna could see the whites of their eyes, but they feared to come after them again.

Kael'thas kicked Skybender and they ascended. "If these were people I had to control for Illidan, I would leave those to live in fear. Tell them later that I spared their lives but no further insolence would be tolerated. This they would tell their neighbors, and one generation would tell the next until the fear was real and walked among them as if I were always there with them, watching. But these lives are disposable, aren't they Saturna?" he whispered into her ear. Saturna was caught between the sensual feel of his lips against something so sensitive, and the horror of what he was saying, that he knew the difference between kindly ruling the Blood Elves, and subjugating them. It occurred to her that he willingly abandoned the throne to spare them from what evil he was capable of. Kael'thas Sunstrider knew full well how to destroy and ruin people. Yet, it was somehow more frightening that the Sin'dorei lived free of that cruelty simply because, not long ago, Kael'thas used that villainous agency of his and decided it would not be their fate. But there were many others in Outland who suffered because of him…

"Hold onto me, Saturna, and never let go."

At first, Saturna didn't understand that they were directions. In her mind, it went well with her revelation, and it sounded like Kael'thas was begging for her help. Underneath them, Skybender vanished.

She screamed and dug her nails into Kaelt'has' arm. They fell faster than Skybender could dive. Kael'thas reached out with his free arm, through the rushing air and conjured massive fireballs that he shot at one panicked enemy at a time. From their relaxed soaring, it was clear that they assumed Kael'thas had fled, and they were lucky survivors. But the Blood Elf Prince went after them savagely, and picked off one rider at a time. When the naked man holding a kicking, screaming Bloodknight crashed through their plane of flight, Kael'thas unleashed a black warlock spell that made them slow. They struggled to soar away, but were hobbled. Then, he shot more fireballs at them from below until the enemy was completely demolished.

Kael'thas called into the wind and Skybender reappeared beneath them when it was done.

"Now, my beautiful love, we can go home." Kael'thas told her, and they coasted easily in the direction of Shadowmoon Valley as red dusk blushed in the sky everywhere around them.

After a time, Saturna had the courage to speak. "You… killed off two raiding parties that cornered us over Halaa with no armor and weapons… buck naked."

Kael'thas didn't say anything, but began to kiss her neck again. Saturna recalled the events of the last hour, but she couldn't make sense of anything anymore. Kael'thas had defended them… and somewhere in the middle, he coldly murdered people for them… but in the end, they'd lived. And they were returning home as if nothing happened. He kept them that safe, with his theory of revenge.

"I am a Bloodknight. I understand the power of retribution… but not like that."

"Saturna," he spoke softly into her ear. "Don't trouble yourself. You will never be called to fight that kind of battle, because you are not like Illidan, or Lady Vashj, or myself. We are immensely powerful people and find ourselves in the business of putting fear into the hearts of men… not unlike the Old Gods. I'm not proud of it, but on some level, I have to laugh in the face of danger, or if I can, make danger work for me, by being the cause of it. It also causes people to hate me, but as long as they fear me, I have nothing to fear. Thus fearless, I am free to do my very difficult work of helping tame this world." He reached up and brushed her curled hair away from her neck, and kissed more of it. "Now that you know I am a dictator of sorts… would you like me to stop touching you?"

Saturna hugged his arm around her waist. "I don't hate you, Kael'thas."

He gave a sad smile. "That is very kind of you, Saturna. Thank you."

Night fell when they at last returned home. Demons flying over the Black Temple recognized Kael'thas flying mount, and sent word that he 'wasn't lost,' which Saturna wondered about.

They could have landed, but Kael'thas encouraged Skybender to hover over the roof instead. When Saturna realized that it was because he didn't have any clothes on, she started giggling.

"You're cute when you laugh. Even if it is at my expense." He hugged Saturna tighter.

"I'm surprised you aren't chafing against my plate—"

Kael'thas chided her. "Saturna… I'm embarrassed enough as it is. Please," she stopped. "there's something important I want to tell you, before your boyfriend gets impatient on the roof down there and comes up to meet us on a Nether Drake."

Saturna had forgot all about Nathaniel Blaize, which surprised her.

"You are a smart woman, and you're going to figure this all out eventually. I want it to come from me though." He savored one last kiss on her neck before saying, "I planned this entire day."

Saturna blinked.

"Your Bloodknights told me about Blaize's proposal, and they helped me to act immediately before you answered him. You running into me this morning, our flight from Advisor Sorn… The romantic floating island in Nagrand I think you noticed, but my asking you about your feelings for Blaize, your sex life, even the attack by Alliance and Horde fighting in Halaa… I knew those things would happen, and I was absolutely certain that I could save us from the danger. I wanted to be your hero, not wait for us to risk our lives when the Shatar came for us again, and by then it might be too late. I'm no fool, Saturna. But before you get mad, know that I did it because I wanted you to have a choice. General Blaize is trying to put a collar around your neck, in my opinion. The moment I decide to court you, he tries to engage you to himself? That's not right. It makes it even harder for you to think about what you want, by taking the opportunity to explore with your heart even more difficult, in binding you to a promise. As it is right now, I can't be romantic with you in any way without making you feel like you're cheating on him. I tell you that I love you, and instantly you feel guilty for merely hearing it. I think that, if Blaize were a true gentleman, he would allow himself to see what everyone in the Black Temple sees, that you have feelings for me."

He waited for her to refute his words, but she did not. Down below, Saturna could see General Blaize having an argument with Kurgal, the Fel Orc stable master. Three men in black armor, she realized it was Fennore, Sunthraze, and Pyorin, were talking poor Kurgal's ear off as well. No doubt her boyfriend had seen Kael'thas by now and wanted to wring his neck.

"Don't be angry with them, Saturna. Those three are your friends, and they really care about you. I won't accuse you of being too young to see when a man you care about isn't good for you. I hope you will figure it out for yourself."

Saturna played with the fine hair on Kael'thas' arm. "I learned so much about you today… I would have never discovered these things if we couldn't have a chance to be alone. I understand why you were sneaky about it. And I agree that Nate can be… possessive."

Kael'thas breathed a sigh of relief against her ear.

"So… you weren't really sleepy? You knew that I was going to be tempted out of my mind with you lying there, helpless, and my fangirl tendencies would get the better of me?"

Kael'thas laughed, and Saturna enjoyed feeling it as well as hearing it. "No, sweetheart, I stayed up all night long trying to figure out how to romance you in just the right way. I really was tired." He nuzzled into her neck and began to kiss her hard. "Are you sure you don't want me to take us away again for another few hours… you could finish."

Saturna didn't expect to be delighted by the offer. "Oh, you're bad."

"Yes, that is a conscious decision that I made when I came to Outland. But I explained that to you already." he laughed against her skin.

Saturna gasped suddenly when he bit her. She didn't know that it was possible to feel so physically attracted to someone. His aggressive touch wasn't exactly unwelcome, but it was frightening too. It was like the adrenaline that rushed through her when she faced a monster alone with nothing but her sword. A part of her, the part that was a Bloodknight, relished the threat, and she was beginning to see that the lady still inside of her could also adore the monster.

"I'm so sorry Saturna… it's like the fire…" He half-explained, breathy. "Sometimes I like the sight of blood. It's exciting... how could a warlock not?"

Saturna realized that they were sitting on a fiery magical beast barely out of the reach of Black Temple guard, and that Kael'thas had just admitted to wanting to see her blood. This was truly an unholy combination for him. Her palms sweated.

"Looks like General Blaize has got his hands on a Nether Drake afterall." They began to descend. "Saturna, promise me something? Please, don't answer Blaize's proposal before I finish showing you what it could be like to be with me. If he isn't selfless enough to set you free, to make up your own mind, I need your help to give us a fighting chance."

"I don't know about that…"

"Saturna, your loyalty is an incredible asset, besides being very sexy… but let's not allow it to become tragic." He sat up more decently, as much as was possible sitting behind a woman while naked, as Blaize approached on his blue Nether Drake. "I will leave you with one last well thought out argument for my case. Over the next few days, I want you to honestly ask yourself, what, of all the things you know about me, makes you think that I will respect the vows of marriage if I know that you love me? You haven't said, 'I love you Kael'thas,' yet, but you haven't said no to me either. I _will_ pursue you, Saturna Whiteblade, until I know absolutely, beyond a reason of a doubt, that you will have nothing to do with me. Because after that point, I'd be forcing you, and I refuse to force a woman." He eyed Blaize as he drew within earshot. "Especially not a woman who, when allowed to indulge in her free will, tried to taste me in an effort to possess the experience of me being inside of her forever… At least, that seems to me what you meant about the cherries." Finally, Kael'thas whispered, as General Blaize glared at them. "If you want my body so badly, how far a leap is it, really, to want my heart and my soul? If it wasn't clear before, those are my intentions, to let you have all of me."

"Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider." Blaize addressed him with spite that could cut steel. "Will you kindly remove your arm from around my girlfriend and set her down peaceably? I would offer to beat you bloody over it, but _I _have more decency than to fight an unarmed man—a naked man!" he flared abruptly, "Who abuses Demon magic to heighten every aspect of his strength."

Kael'thas took his time landing Skybender. "Two things, Blaize. First, I'm absolutely shocked that you didn't demand I hand Saturna over mid-air, so kudos on not being at least that meat-headed. Secondly, what you keep glancing at is the gift of youth and the pride of the royal Thalassian line. I need no Demon magic enhance myself in that area, unlike your tired hair dye."

Saturna made funny whimpering noises as she tried not to laugh.

Blaize turned as red as his unnaturally toned hair that matched the deep scarlet of Saturna's Bloodknight tabard exactly. They landed and both men got off their mounts. Much to Blaize's chagrin, Saturna thanked Kael'thas 'for the ride' and walked past her boyfriend to the stairs that lead down below into the Black Temple.

Blaize pointed angrily at Kael'thas, but then gave it up and ran after his woman. That left Sunthraze, Pyorin, Fennore, and Advisor Sorn standing alone on the roof with a wide-eyed Kurgal.

"Wish I had such good magically-enhanced bloodlines." Sunthraze muttered under his breath. Pyorin took off his black cape and handed it to Kael'thas.

_COME TO ME!_

The urge to go to Illidan made Kael'thas' knees weak. The black cape twisted in the air and never reached the Prince's hand. He pressed palms to his temples and gasped in pain.

"My Prince?" Fennore knelt and readied to heal the problem away, but Advisor Sorn put a hand on the Bloodknight's shoulder.

Kael'thas rolled over and over on the rough stone, and arched his back. He scratched his skin, but the pain in his mind was clearly far worse. He didn't even notice how he hurt himself.

Advisor Sorn leaned in. "I told you that Illidan would be cross if you ran off like that. But you just had to have your way, didn't you? And to make things worse, you had to return in this state… the whole place is probably already talking about it, how you defied the Master for a woman." He looked up at three confused Bloodknights. "Get him to Lord Illidan, and you! Go find him some clothes, hurry! And I mean it exactly as I said, in that order…"

Not too long after, Kael'thas lay dressed in his royal regalia on a fancy couch in Illidan's lair. It was a twin of the Golden Shrine Kael'thas now lived in, but the mosaic in the middle of the floor was done in glittering black stone. The excellent stonework of the skylight above was cut short by jagged rocks that sealed what would have been a beautiful view of the night sky. The rocks fit tightly together with a mixture of crude mortar and pulsating green fel magic.

The Blood Elf prince reached up and adjusted the cool moist rag that lay across his forehead.

Illidan stood very nearby, wings flexing gently.

"Do you know what was lost to us today, because you chased after that woman?"

Kael'thas knew better than to answer. He could hear the powerful demon language speak volumes more than Illidan actually said in his mind. To the untrained, it could drive a person mad. Experienced warlocks were taught how to use that very tactic, called a Curse of Tongues, on the battlefield. But this was no curse. This was his life.

"I would snap your neck if it wasn't so valuable to me, Kael'thas."

The Blood Elf Prince flinched. He felt through the Soul Link, and the Demon language how angry Illidan was with him. Seeing his own death would have been better.

Finally, Illidan left off standing so close to him. He wandered off to a table set with countless trophies, most of them were ruined skulls. He placed a clawed hand on one of them. "Well, the Ogre alliance fell through. It was already on its last legs, but I singlehandedly destroyed it forever. I couldn't control my temper without you there, Kael'thas." Illidan's wings wilted and his large shoulders sagged. "They saw how savage and indifferent I truly was. Advisor Sorn tried, but nothing he said mattered to them."

"Illidan, it wasn't your fault."

The two men said nothing to each other for a long time. If it wasn't Illidan's fault, because Illidan depended on Kael'thas, then it was Kael'thas' fault for not being there. It was the weight of compassion that filled in that silence. Illidan struggled not to condemn his friend.

"I love you, Kael'thas."

The man named sat up instantly, through a stitch of pain that shot up his neck. "Illidan, we've been through this before. You're confusing different kinds of love… but that's understandable. You are losing your sense of certain emotions, as you make your descent into—"

"I am telling you that I love you! I need you, I can't live without you!"

"You are confused." Kael'thas firmly asserted. "When in your life have you ever loved a man? Tyrande Whisperwind is still in your heart, in your mind, I can feel it eventhough you try to restrain yourself. And there are demonnesses here that you indulge in." he gestured around the room, to the fur palettes and odd belongings that could only be the possessions of strong female Demons enthralled with Illidan. His harem had left, as they knew was expected, when the Bloodknights carried Kael'thas into the room. Then with one look from The Betrayer, the Bloodknights knew they had to leave Kael'thas there in his agonizing state, alone. Kael'thas stood on weak legs now. "A person does not wake up one day and realize that he loves men… you would have a lifetime of either knowing it, or hiding that you know it. And I can see into your heart these days… that is not the case with you."

Illidan said nothing, but stretched his right wing idly.

Finally, he turned to face Kael'thas when he felt the elven hand on his arm. "You love me as a friend." Kael'thas explained. "You're forgetting a lifetime of conditioning, in Night Elf society." Kael'thas smiled at him, through his pain. "There are gender roles… men don't usually say it to each other." Illidan looked at Kael'thas gratefully, from underneath excellent black curved horns. "But if you need reassurance… I am your friend. We have been friends for a long time, and yes, I do love you."

Illidan reached around and snagged Kael'thas in a firm embrace. Kael'thas awkwardly hugged him back until it became hard to breathe… and then he told Illidan it was hard for him to breathe.

"Afraid that I'll suffocate you? That I'll snap your back?" Illidan snarled at him.

Kael'thas was in a great deal of pain. He couldn't hide it.

"I don't like it when you choose her over me. And I really dislike it when you leave me alone here. You know that is why I called you and your forces to the Black Temple. My time as a man is growing short, the transition nearly final. I won't endure it alone."

Kael'thas closed his eyes against the pain. With his throbbing headache, it was even worse. He turned red, then purple, before Illidan finally let him go.

Kael'thas stumbled away, taking desperate panicked breaths. Illidan made no move to comfort him. "I wouldn't treat you this way... if you would just enslave me, already."

"No, Illidan." Kael'thas struggled to speak normally and hide his fear. "But I will concede one point... I will tell you in advance next time, before I go."

Illidan bared his teeth at him. "Or, you could not go at all!"

"I'm not a prisoner here, Illidan!"

"You don't know that yet." The Demon Lord coldly answered, not missing a beat. "Now, leave me!" Illidan was self conscious of his jealous tone, that he could not control. He turned his back.

When Kael'thas recovered and walked to the door, Illidan went and stalked slowly after, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

Kael'thas pushed the door open for himself. "Friends don't do this to each other, make threats. I hope you understand that."

"Are _you_ threatening me now?" Illidan rose to the challenge.

Kael'thas looked very sad. "No, of course not. I know better than to do that." Then, he left.

Illidan stood, facing the closed door alone. Many emotions surged up in him, it felt like a tempest howling. He reached for Kael'thas through the Soul Link, begged the warlock to help him remember… what was this feeling, that made him want to kneel down and humble himself, plead like a beaten peon for mercy? Why should it come to him, the Lord of Outland, who was already so strong…

_Regret._

Illidan nodded at the emotion Kael'thas clarified for him, using the strength of his own clear feelings. The Demon Lord pressed his cheek up against the door and let his hand slide down the wood in a gentle caress that his friend would never feel.

"You are my world… please, Kael'thas, never leave me again."

But Kael'thas wouldn't reach back with his emotions to comfort the pleading that Illidan sent through the link. It was a way Kael'thas had of ignoring him, of protecting himself from the madness, Illidan knew.

Back in Saturna's room, Blaize paced all about the floor, irate. Saturna tried very hard not to feel like he was being paternal with her, from where she sat on the bed in one of Blaize's old shirts that she normally slept in.

"I don't believe you when you said that 'nothing happened.' Kael'thas came back naked, for goodness' sake! And just look at all those hickeys he left on your neck."

Saturna's hand flew up to feel the bruises Kael'thas left on her neck… he started doing it the moment he realized that Blaize was coming out to meet them. Saturna couldn't help smiling at his guile.

"What's this? Are you smiling? Did you like the time you spent, galavanting all around Outland doing who-knows-what on his phoenix?"

"Blaize, it wasn't like that—"

"You know, he calls it Skybender, but there are a good number of my men who call it the Womanbender. He's already had his share of my soldiers, Saturna. Don't think that you're so special."

Saturna was already thinking of Kael'thas and it was an effort to redirect her anger at General Blaize.

"What's with the name-calling all of a sudden, huh? And I hope that you realize you are insulting me by insulting his feelings for me. Is that how you see me, as a person who could never illicit those kind of feelings in someone so important?"

"By the Sun! You're defending him." Blaize put his hands on his hips. "It's clear to me what you did during all those unaccounted for hours."

"Nate, are you really this insecure? What's gotten into you... I told you that I care for you, don't you trust me?"

"How did his clothes come off? Did he expose himself to you, Saturna?"

Saturna opened her mouth to answer but realized that she couldn't tell her boyfriend that she stripped Kael'thas' clothes off in a mad attempt to finish what what the man started before he inconveniently fell asleep. But when she looked up her Nate, who loved her, Saturna felt horrible. It would be the same as lying to him.

"I… we almost slept together." She decided to leave out how, or whose fault it was. "But I didn't… it was frightening, I felt so out of control. I've never reacted that way, to anyone before. I didn't want it to be like that, Nate."

"Of course you didn't. You are a good person." He sat next to her on the bed.

Did that mean she was evil if she ever slept with someone like Kael'thas?

Saturna smoothed a wispy blonde bang out of her eye. "I'm so sorry, Nathaniel. I don't know what came over me, out there."

Saturna felt it, the gap in the conversation where Blaize actually asked her what came over her, what she was feeling inside when Kael'thas and she got that close. But he turned away, glossed over it.

"Saturna, you must give me your answer tonight. Kael'thas must be stopped."

She scooted away from him on the bed. "You can't be serious… the proposal is sudden enough as it is!"

"Why are you hesitating? Did you do something wrong, something that makes you unworthy of being my wife?"

Saturna tried to make sense of everything, but Blaize never allowed her the chance. "I'm tired of the rumors, Saturna. I'm tired of people laughing behind my back. And yes, I'm tired of your own men plotting against me. I can't believe that they ran to Kael'thas after hearing our argument through the walls. And you haven't reprimanded them!"

"They didn't do anything wrong." Saturna's voice was desperate.

"It was out of line! You, are out of line!" he was aggressive with her, and not in the way that Kael'thas seemed motivated by a passionate and primal urge to have her. Nathaniel Blaize was angry and scared. He wasn't himself. "You answer me here and now, or it's over, Saturna! Do you hear me? I don't deserve to be treated like this, with you waffling back and forth as if my feelings don't matter. I love you… I've done nothing but treat you perfectly…"

Saturna covered her eyes. She felt helpless. How could she tell Nate that she needed to honor a promise to Kael'thas before making a promise to him… that would make her seem even more disloyal.

Blaize hugged her. "Saturna… I'm so sorry that I raised my voice at you. It just terrifies me to think of you with that man. He's not good for you, but I am. I would make a way for us, somehow." He rubbed her back. "It's just that I don't ever want you to wake up one day and say to yourself, 'why am I still here?', and if you get involved with Kael'thas, that is how it will be, I just know it. You'll be trapped."

"But Nate, you can't tell the future—"

"Saturna… I know, because that's what _I_ do." He kissed her gently. "Sometimes I ask myself, 'why am I still here, when Kael'thas acts this way?' I stay because, though in all honestly I think Kael'thas is a jerk, he's a good leader. You have to be strong to go toe to toe with Illidan and Lady Vashj the way he does. And what he's doing over in Tempest Keep, it's simply brilliant. I've been serving long enough to understand that good leaders are sometimes mean people. He's both." Blaize exhaled sorrowfully. "But it's that indecision that kills me sometimes. No one should ever have to feel what I do, to doubt your people, and your country, because of the very man who is supposed to represent both to the world. And I've already gone and committed my entire life to Kael'thas."

Saturna let him kiss her further. "But, if you were to commit yourself to me… then I could love you like nothing else. And you would never want for anything at all. You would be one precious piece of Quel'thalas that he hasn't touched and ruined."

Saturna was confused, but she let Nathaniel Blaize lay her down, unbutton his shirt that she wore. It didn't feel bad, but good because Nate had experience. He knew how to make it feel good. Inevitably, though, the guilt came when he made vows to protect her forever which seemed impossible, made declarations of unflinching love that she didn't feel she deserved, as he touched her and then entered her…

Like always, Saturna tried very hard not to think of Kael'thas. It was more painful now than ever before.

"Marry me, Saturna Whiteblade. I love you with all my heart. That man will use you and toss you aside when he is finished. He is going to do it because there is nothing else for him to do with you. Do you honestly think he can marry you and make you his queen? He cannot go back to Silvermoon now. It's too late for that."

Saturna cried, she was so afraid to answer. "You won't ever leave me?"

"No, I will never leave you."

"Or lie to me? Or forget about me…"

"What man in his right mind would do those things to you?"

Still, Saturna hesitated.

"Please, answer me…" he begged her. Saturna gasped and moaned at what he was now doing to her body. It felt like blackmail.

"I love you too, Nate." It was as painful to lie as it was to finally understand that he was pushing her. Saturna bared her teeth against her betrayal in the darkness. But in the end, she felt it was all she could do, to defend herself against an uncertain future. At least, this way, they would be using each other.

It would be fair. It would approach happiness if not fully seize it. It would hurt, but at least it was something she could count on with their world falling apart around them. It was the inevitable salve for the pain of chasing a dream… a dream still so firmly rooted in the past that it could never truly be.

The warnings of Lianna the assassin came back to her then. Saturna had heard Kael'thas admit to such terrible things today. She had listened to it all and understood, but still... was that merely weakness on her part, for wanting to care for a liar and a dictator, a man who sold his soul to a Demon? Was her heart darkening now, to match his own?

Deep down, Saturna knew that she could not allow herself to love someone as damned as Kael'thas. For, she too, would be damned.

Author's note:

Yes! I was finally able to give you all two chapters this week. Kickass!


	15. Saving her from a man trap

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Fifteen: Getting her out of a man trap**

Kael'thas was so happy later that week, he began to sing to himself: 

"I love a woman,

More beautiful than the Sun.

The Sun.

My Saturna,

Hotter than a star.

Wherever you are,

I'm singing for you in my bad voice,

My own shining star.

Oh, Saturnaaaa…"

Finally, one morning in the Golden Shrine, Advisor Sorn massaged his temples and pleaded, "My Prince, please! I beg of you…"

"Do you disagree? You think that my Saturna isn't hotter than a star?" He laughed and raised a blonde eyebrow before pushing one important document aside and signing the next one with a flourish of a black plumed stylus.

"No… I mean, the woman is enchanting—"

"Have you ever seen a woman with finer hips, or felt softer lips…"

"Kael'thas, this is hardly decent—"

"And such warm thighs… when I look into her eyes…" he looked up wistfully, then exhaled. "Alright, you win, Sorn. I am getting a bit carried away. Shall we talk about the ball, then? It was supposed to be a surprise but I guess with all the preparations I've been making it was really impossible to keep it a secret in the first place. I hear everyone's talking about it! Saturna's bound to know by now too. Things really couldn't be better, Sorn. She will definitely fall for me after I get through lavishing all that attention on her..."

"Kael'thas, I don't dislike your idea… but perhaps you should not center the entire theme around one woman? Why not expand it to something like, oh I don't know... Illidan's allies? We could even invite the Ogres back. And there are countless other factions that would benefit from some recognition, a pat on the back after all they sacrificed for the Lord of Outland."

Kael'thas went back to signing documents. "No. Everything is already in motion. This ball is going to be in her honor, just for Saturna. A very extravagant birthday present from me to her. Besides, she's expecting it now, and I'll be damned if I'm going to disappoint her."

"That is highly indecent, my Prince! She is already with someone else, your own General, might I add."

"I suppose I could always start talking about your punishment again."

"Oh no! Your Majesty… don't you think that my wrestling with Illidan's anger and General Blaize's wrath for that entire day was enough? And I already explained to you that I went to Lady Vashj for your sake… to quell the rumors."

Kael'thas shuffled another document aside, and set the quill back in its inkwell. Sorn immediately lifted another stack of papers onto his polished mahogany desk. Kael'thas frowned, but it was very brief.

"My Saturnaaa, my Silvermoon… I suppose I should be happy that Lady Vashj attempted to scare me out of my wits instead of giving me some kind of creepy Naga sex dream. Then I would be really disturbed right now and you would most certainly be dead." He glared up at Sorn momentarily.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And by the way, Lady Vashj controls the rumors in the Black Temple. That's clear enough to me by now at least. It wasn't magic. But, since you were so naïve to begin with, why not go on believing that she uses powerful magic to sway the minds of innocents so that they instantly have certain conversations, hmm?"

Sorn gasped.

"Don't look so surprised, Sorn. She turned you into a spy for me, and you are going to be a spy right back. It compliments her narcissism, it's altogether perfect, Sorn!" then his sarcastic smile faded. "That will be your punishment."

Sorn folded his hands behind his back. "Well… I suppose I could do a lot worse."

There was a knock on the door.

"Indeed, you could Sorn." Kael'thas began to whistle happily. "Come in."

A very nervous Sunfury soldier entered the room. He bowed before Kael'thas, then completely fell apart and went down on his knees, gave that up, and lay face down.

Flabbergasted, Kael'thas leaned over his desk to see.

Advisor Sorn grabbed the young man by the arm. "Get up! What in the world is wrong with you? If it's bad news, let's just hear it. The Prince of Quel'thalas is more than capable of dealing with it."

The Sunfury messenger apologized profusely and then pulled a blue envelope from within his jacket. It looked completely harmless.

Kael'thas burst into a delighted grin when he recognized Saturna's handwriting on the outside of the envelope.

For Kael'thas. It read.

"Oh, she's sending me love notes already? What a perfect, darling woman…" As he had many times before, Kael'thas reached for his golden letter opener, a shining dagger with a stylized phoenix on the end of the handle. The paper crackled as it was opened…

He read, "You are most cordially invited to attend the wedding of…" a disquieted pause, "General Nathaniel Blaize and Saturna Arcaneila Blaize this day of the seventh month under the Sun, in the Sunfury Courtyard at four o'clock. Light refreshments will be served.

Sincerely, the happy Bride and Groom, Saturna and Nathaniel Blaize."

Kael'thas shot to his feet. His chair fell over. The messenger whimpered and again fell to his knees.

"Is this some kind of joke!" he thundered. "Who put you up to this? I'LL KILL THEM!"

"Your Majesty, please get a hold of yourself."

"You there! What's your name?" he walked around the desk, gold letter opener still in hand. He got the young man by his collar.

"I was sent directly here by Mistress Blaize, I mean Mistresss Whiteblade herself! Please have mercy! I am only the messenger…"

Kael'thas dropped the letter opener on the carpet, and braced himself against his desk. "There is no way… she wouldn't do this to me…" He covered his face with his hand, began mumbling to himself.

"My Prince… are you alright?" Sorn touched his shoulder.

"She promised me… there is no way." Kael'thas pushed the frantic messenger out of his way and ran.

Several minutes later, in the West Wing of the Black Temple, Fennore went to meet his friends in front of Saturna's door. He looked mournful. "Here he comes…"

"Saturna!" One could hear Kael'thas yelling before he entered the Sunfury barracks. Saturna's door was immediately on the right, in the narrow hallway that led to the great hall where the soldiers stayed.

Three stalwart Bloodknights guarded the way. "Is she in there?" Kael'thas was so frantic he didn't wait to hear the answer. He banged savagely on the door. "Saturna! Saturna!"

"Kael'thas, stop!" Pyorin grabbed his arms. Sunthraze got a bear hold around the Prince's waist. It took the two of them to drag him back. Fennore's fingers twitched as he waited off to the side, ready to heal.

"What are you doing? I have to get in there and talk to Saturna. She's marrying Blaize—" Kael'thas calmed down when he realized what was going on. "You… you already know."

"We swore to our Commander that we would let her tell you in her own way, Kael'thas."

"What is the meaning of this?" his voice faltered and he yanked away from Pyorin.

Fennore took a step forward. "She got engaged days ago, Kael'thas. Saturna told us after it was too late. She explained to us that this is what she wants, with all her heart."

"That's not possible! Why didn't she tell me?"

"Because she anticipated that you would react this way." Sunthraze admonished. "And don't go yelling at us; if we forced her to stay away from Blaize, then we'd be no better than brutes. What would we do, lock her in a closet? Kael'thas, you're forgetting that we are her friends."

"You are my Bloodknights! How can you go against me like this?" he was desperate.

Sunthraze got in his face, flushed red. "Do you think we want this? Do you think this is the way we would have it? But she is a grown woman, it's her decision to make!" When Kael'thas continued to struggle, Sunthraze added, "You almost weren't told at all! She fought hard with Blaize to invite you just now so that you would know what was going on, even if it was at the last minute."

Fennore's calm tone was next. "This is all she's ever wanted, Kael'thas. If you love her, you will let her have her special day. It's not easy for any of us, but we don't wish to hurt her, or lose her friendship simply because we disagree."

Kael'thas backed away from the door, and slumped against the other wall. "This… this isn't happening."

General Blaize strode into their midst then. He glared at Kael'thas with disdain. Kael'thas looked up at him helplessly, continued to slide down the wall.

"You're a little early for the celebration."

"Go to hell." Kael'thas swiftly replied.

Blaize dared take a step closer. "Where is Illidan now, hmm? Where is your phoenix, the Womanbender? Where is the romantic island floating over Nagrand? Or your hungry hands… not on my Saturna."

"I… will… kill… you."

"And then Saturna will kill you, for killing me." Blaize raised his voice. "Where is your dignity, my Prince?" He stamped his silver plate boot on the marble just near Kael'thas' clawed hand. Perhaps he expected Kael'thas to flinch, but he didn't. "It's there, all over the ground, along with your gentility, your pride… all there on the floor, where you left it."

Kael'thas scrambled to his feet. Two men in black plate shouted and rushed forth to hold him back.

"This isn't over! You sonofabitch!" Kael'thas struggled against Pyorin and Sunthraze. Fennore opened the door for Blaize.

Prince Kael'thas got a fleeting glimpse of Saturna sitting on the bed in her white wedding dress. She was beautiful, but her eyes were raw from weeping. Blaize stood before her, opened his arms. She went to him, relieved. She smiled. Then the door closed.

"Please go, Kael'thas." Pyorin asked him. A crowd of Sunfury soldiers had gathered.

_You should let me protect you from them. Call me…_

Kael'thas very carefully put his anger in check, for his people and for Illidan. Everyone watched him walk away, long hair mussed and he trembling with rage.

The wedding started late because Saturna wanted to wait for Kael'thas. He didn't come.

Lady Vashj's gave a hollow smile to everyone who greeted her. It wasn't clear what she thought about the event. The Naga Queen was dressed in elaborate white regalia fringed in magical aqua enchantments. With her glowing tiered headdress and matching consorts, she looked better than the bride and her groomsmen.

Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore stood behind their Commander in full Bloodknight armor. Red and black plate corona caused them to look like kings. The Sunfury soldiers in attendance looked from Lady Vashj to the handsome Bloodknights in awe of the spectacle.

Lord Illidan, of course, had been invited too, but no one really expected him to attend when he didn't even show up to Lady Vashj's parties.

Saturna held a bouquet of white roses and wore a simple but beautiful white linen dress. General Blaize wore his red plate. No one asked why he stood on the dais with his bride, in full armor and sword. They had seen Kael'thas earlier. Pale yellow sunlight shone on them from stories above the courtyard, where the heavy green clouds of Shadowmoon Valley parted briefly to let out the sun. It was a rare time of day… and a rare point in history. It was very possible that the last wedding to take place in the Black Temple had been long ago, before the demonic Horde, in a time when Outland was Draenor, and innocence pervaded everything.

The Sunfury priest began the opening prayer. Saturna took Blaize's hands and truly smiled.

Many stories above, a man looked down at her in her white dress from a shadowed balcony. His was the only opinion that ever mattered in the Sunfury barracks… until today. Kael'thas realized this about himself with a pang in his heart.

"I knew you would come." a low brooding voice said.

Kael'thas turned to see Illidan standing in the shadows of the ruined room. Kael'thas furrowed his brow, went back to watching the wedding.

"And I should have known that you would find me. Tell me, Illidan, do you like seeing me this way? Do Demons so crave suffering that they seek it out when there is none to be had at hand?"

Illidan leaned on the balcony next to his friend. "I am worried about you."

"Look at her… she's smiling but she can't really be happy. Not with him."

"Do you have a Soul Link with her then? That must be how you know."

Kael'thas clenched his jaw at Illidan's response. "It isn't right."

"I would have killed my General, had he done this to me."

Again, Kael'thas said nothing.

"And, as he lay dying, I would take his woman and force her, right in front of his eyes. She would scream and swear at me… but he would not be able to do anything about it. He would see my power, finally be forced to accept my dominance—"

"I am not a Demon!" Kael'thas flared. His voice echoed in the room, and he floundered for a bit, attempting to control his voice. "I can't do that to my own man, Illidan. Blaize and I are at odds, but I'm no monster, I won't kill him." He hesitated. "That would be wrong."

"You are a coward. I heard you threaten his life. Will you go back on your word?"

"I was just angry at the time. Blaize is… a good general. I've angered him enough already."

Illidan began to laugh. He made no effort to control his voice. It carried down many levels into the courtyard. Kael'thas saw people fidget down below and he withdrew into the dark room.

"I see now why you won't take me for your own. You are already someone's slave."

"I am my own man!" Kael'thas made a fist.

"You either belong to the General you cuckolded or the female you cuckolded him with. Either way, you are weak, the lowest of the low…"

"Saturna and I… we never slept together."

Illidan sat down in an old chair that creaked and wrapped his wings across his chest. "What is that feeling you have, Master… where your heart beats so fast, and your pulse races… there is a heat in your loins that you cannot control. It is fogging your mind, making you want to do mad things, evil things…"

"You know that I love her, Illidan. Do you wish to torment me?"

"Yes, I remember that feeling. You were the one who taught me about love." Illidan said simply. He watched Kael'thas pace. Eventually, he ended back at the balcony railing.

"You will regret that." Illidan warned him. "It is like watching an animal being gored by a predator in the wild, a city burning when you can do nothing… like staring into the sun itself."

Kael'thas heard the priest read them their vows. He moved his mouth with General Blaize, waiting. "She won't do it, Illidan. She just needs to look the danger in the face… she is a Bloodknight, she will get her courage in the end."

Illidan began scraping his claws against the dark stone wall. It made a horrible screeching noise.

"Illidan, stop! What are you, a puppy? Needing my constant attention!"

"Call me…"

"But you're already here! What good will my summoning you do now… shh!"

It was Saturna's turn. She was taking too long…

"If you become omnipotent, the most brilliant warlock now living… combined with the power of a willing Demon Lord… who will oppose you if you murder him?" Illidan tapped his claws on the wooden armrest.

Kael'thas saw from above how Saturna looked out over the crowd, nervous.

"If you become one with me Kael'thas, you will no longer want for love."

Kael'thas leaned further into the sunlight.

"You can take my strength right now… and strike him dead with one finger pointed… a shadowbolt empowered by Demon magic. Straight through the heart."

At last, Kael'thas looked to Illidan. "What are you saying?"

"I do." Saturna's voice echoed.

Kael'thas looked back to the wedding ceremony below him, horrified. "No…"

"Kill him."

Kael'thas sank behind the railing, covered his face. "This has to be some nightmare…" he ran his fingers through his hair, desperate to find another piece chopped off.

"Kael'thas." Lord Illidan stood directly over him now. "If you won't do it, ask me to kill General Blaize. I will do it for you. And through acting in your name… you will be stronger, just like a summoning. That is the way my master should be."

Cheering rose up from down below. Illidan looked only at Kael'thas, who sat there, heartbroken.

Then the Demon Lord softened.

Kael'thas… what is this feeling?

Illidan knelt down and wrapped his strong arms around his friend.

Why does it make me want to do this…

"That is called compassion." Kael'thas said, his voice heavy with emotion. "Why do you ask me? You know compassion… that is why you didn't torture me the other day, when I disobeyed you. Illidan, I don't want to do this with you right now…"

Illidan looked sad and kept hugging him. "I am forgetting that emotion." He sighed. "I feel sorry for you, Kael'thas. You are the best person I know, not meant to be betrayed."

This, The Betrayer himself told Kael'thas Sunstrider. Then, "What will you do now, my Master?"

"I don't know… I see now that she was all I ever wanted…"

Illidan snorted. "Well, I already told you what I think you should do."

Kael'thas let his eyes wander in the dark room. The anger rose in him, it was terribly hard to resist, with the source of amazing power right next to him, warm, breathing and alive... touching him. Kael'thas gritted his teeth. "Maybe... maybe you are right Illidan. I need to be ruthless, don't I? I can't show any mercy... not for Blaize." He began to chew his thumbnail. "And especially not for Saturna."

Illidan smiled. "Good. Then, tell me, how shall I kill Blaize, and then the woman?"

Kael'thas shook his head. "No, Illidan! That is how a Demon thinks... A good warlock knows how to uncover people's pain, and then use it against them. I already know what Blaize's weakness is." he started to laugh. "And if I recall, Saturna has a special little sore spot... she's been holding onto it for years. I bet I can twist both their arms at once."

Several weeks went by, the month drawing to a close. The Naga, of course, went on and on about the event itself, and how their Lady Vashj was dressed much better than the bride. The Sunfury praised their General for having picked such a worthy wife. They argued with the Naga that Saturna was possibly the best woman in all the Black Temple, or even Outland. The Demons and Fel Orcs felt that Blaize was undeserving of Kael'thas' woman, and insisted that it was only a matter of time before the Blood Elf Prince took revenge. Many bets were taken in the Black Temple, I mean the casino of course. Pyorin was sure not to let that opportunity get by the Demons, though he emphasized that he was a neutral party, as the bookie.

The silence from Kael'thas was nearly unbearable. His retaliation felt imminent, but there was no sign of anything, no hint whatsoever. Kael'thas was said to be avoiding both General Blaize and Saturna. Then, a few days before the end of the month, something was leaked straight from the Golden Shrine itself: Saturna's secret birthday ball had been cancelled.

Saturna panicked. She started to ask around about how Kael'thas fared, asked everyone except for her Nate. Did Kael'thas hate her? Was he plotting revenge? Did he have a new woman in his life? Was he in some kind of trouble with Illidan? How did he look these days? Was he still so handsome? She asked if they'd heard anything at all about Kael'thas because he wouldn't talk to her. It was 'for the sake of her marriage.' That's how she put it. But no one seemed to know any more than she did.

"It's for your own good." Blaize told her a few weeks after their wedding. "The way he got everyone here excited about it, as if you were his queen or somesuch." When Saturna looked upset, Blaize immediately apologized. "Oh, Saturna. You are better off… you are my queen now. Doesn't that make you happy?"

"Yes." She said woodenly.

He kissed her as they lay in bed that morning. "I love you… so very much. I'm sorry I was a bear those last few days before we finally got married and settled this. It's hard not to be territorial, with you."

Saturna said that she understood, that she was relieved as well. Then, they began their routine of getting ready for morning inspection. But the way they went about life together wasn't magical as Saturna had hoped. It felt like something was missing…

"Bloodknights, report!" Saturna greeted the small file of her men some time later that morning.

"Bloodknight Pyorin reporting, Mistress Saturna! My relations with the Demons are going well. The card games unite Demon and Blood Elf, Fel Orc and Naga. It's a thing to behold!"

Saturna smiled at her tank. "You know, someone down in Hellfire Peninsula once joked with me in passing that the Black Temple sounded like the name of a casino. And from what I hear, that's what you've been up to. But who's profiting from all those winnings I wonder?"

"I have a seventy five percent finder's fee, Commander. And I'm trying to get Fennore the Immortal here to do a show for us next weekend… seeing as how, besides Lady Vashj's victory parties, there's nothing else to do for fun in the Black Temple."

The three other Bloodknights let out a low whistle at once. Saturna shook her head in disbelief. "Well done, Pyorin. I should stop by there with Nate, then."

"I hope you do, but you'll have to leave your armor and weapons at home and come in a dress. Those are the house rules." He grinned. "Makes it a lot easier to end the inevitable fights that break out… you know, from time to time. Okay, all the time."

Sunthraze reported in next. "Bloodknight Sunthraze reporting for duty," he sighed. "While Pyorin here is getting rich off the Demons, the Naga parties have suffered considerably. How can we compete with a place that doesn't charge admission? Well, other than that, we're all getting along 'swimmingly' as the Naga say. Since that rumor went around that I kissed a Paladin to death," he paused, uncomfortable. "Well, I'm not proud of it, but the Naga have turned it into something. It's endeared them to me, Commander."

Saturna nodded that she understood. She tried not to think of how she felt about ordering her men to do that to another person. But every day that passed without signs of Paladin retaliation or assassins looking for Kael'thas was a day she felt grateful for.

"And what of the Sunfury, Fennore? How do they fare?"

"I'm a hero, at last." He smiled. "No one ever pays attention to the healer, but now that I have a nickname, that's changed. 'Fennore the Immortal'… I just adore it when they call me that! The only thing I want now is some enchanting company of the feminine variety. But maybe my little appearance at The Black Temple this weekend will help with the ladies." He beamed.

"Fennore… I've seen the looks some of the Sunfury women give you. I'm not so sure that you have lady problems." Saturna mused.

"He's in love with Mavia." Pyorin rolled his eyes.

"Who—"

"Mavia the Maneater." Sunthraze cheered at his friends' embarrassment. "She's a pretty mean succubus who happens to be in love with Pyorin. Now isn't that a terrifying love triangle? Who will get seduced first? Or exorcised…"

"And how are you doing, Commander?" Fennore spoke over Sunthraze. Saturna wasn't expecting them to ask. She fidgeted. "Well… I guess I'm fine considering—"

"Have you heard anything from Kael'thas?" Pyorin winced.

"Not until today." The confident voice of Kael'thas startled all the Bloodknights. They scrambled to do a hasty salute in time. Kael'thas regarded them with an unreadable nod. "Good morning, Lady Saturna." He bowed to her.

"Are you alright?" Saturna began speaking quickly. "I feel terrible! I wanted to tell you about the wedding, but Blaize wouldn't let me. And I haven't heard from you in so long, I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I felt it was the right thing for me to do. Oh, Kael'thas, you reacted so badly, I was afraid... and I heard you canceled my birthday party! I was so looking forward to being your Lady of Honor, surely, you knew... You must really hate me…"

"It's in the past." Kael'thas looked away from her. "Because… we're just friends now, aren't we? I couldn't possibly give you a birthday present like that, with you married to another man."

"Oh… okay. I guess that's fair, if it's what you really want." Saturna said in a small, disappointed voice.

When she said that, Kael'thas started smiling. "Will you come away with me, Saturna?"

"What!"

"Just over there… I suddenly realized that I have to tell Blaize something, and I didn't think you'd mind me walking you over to your husband. That won't break your vows, will it?"

"Um… no…?"

Kael'thas seized her arm and yanked her over to his side. Fennore, Sunthraze, and Pyorin looked puzzled.

"What are you doing, grabbing me like that?" she whispered harshly as they started walking.

"You still want me. I've had my ear to the ground this whole time, and I wasn't sure of the rumors… but now I can see it on your face. I'm happy that you asked about me so much… so you were worried about me? Awww…" he fawned over her.

"Kael'thas, I'm a married woman now."

"Right, I know. We're going to have an affair, in front of the whole world." He said cheerfully.

"No we aren't!"

"I told you what would happen if you married Blaize, that fat arrogant—"

"Don't talk about him that way. And he's not fat."

"Really? Because in my opinion, he's put on a lot of weight over the last three weeks. You should divorce him. He's completely let himself go, doesn't treat you well at all, while you slave all day with the meals, and run all over caring for three little mischievous Bloodknights… what other reasons do you need?" he reached around and pinched her butt.

"Kael'thas!"

"You liked it." He pulled her closer. "Now that I'm almost done walking you over to your pitiful Plan B," for the first time he sounded irritated, "I have some important instructions for you."

"I'm not sure if I can follow your version of instructions… I don't like that look in your eye."

"That wedding really hurt me. I got so angry with you..." He paused, and one could see the pain in his eyes. "But you are coming to my party. You will dance with me there, and then if everything goes well, I am taking you home with me. That is the way courtship is supposed to work."

"I made vows Kael'thas!" then what he was saying hit home. "I... you're going to let me be your queen! Urp! I mean, Lady of Honor?" her eyes dazzled.

"Shh, lower your voice, or you'll ruin the surprise. I cancelled the damn thing on purpose, to test you. I am cross with you, Saturna Whiteblade. I asked you to wait for me, and you didn't. Now, I don't want to hear any more nonsense about your pointless marriage vows. You are going to do as I say or else I will come find you in the night and we will sort it out for ourselves in a less decent fashion. And I warn you, I need little more encouragement these days to become an adulterer."

Saturna shuddered happily against his warm breath on her neck. "You, Mistress, are excellent inspiration."

"Good Morning, My Prince. I see you've brought my wife to me." General Blaize looked down his nose at Kael'thas when at last they arrived before his files of attentive Sunfury. Blaize was his calm self again now that he was married. "At ease," he told his soldiers.

"I certainly have." Kael'thas smiled back. It was threatening. "Well, Saturna, why are you still holding onto me? Your husband shouldn't have to beg me to hand you over. That's not right." His sarcasm was so bold, it was obvious what he was really trying to say.

Saturna blushed and uncoiled her arm from around Kael'thas. General Blaize looked away briefly, annoyed. Kael'thas took that opportunity to pinch her again and she jumped.

"Now what's going on, Kael'thas? Why are you here interrupting a very important morning ritual for your own men? It's irresponsible, and disrespectful of Thalassian military tradition."

"Blaize, I am Thalassian military tradition. I am Quel'thalas. It's impossible for me to be treasonous, unlike some people. But that's not why I came here this morning, to argue over ethics. I have something for you." He handed him a golden envelope.

"What a fancy package to put my walking papers in." Blaize frowned. "Fine, get rid of me if you want, but I'm taking Saturna with me."

Kael'thas feigned shock. "Well, I certainly never thought you would marry the poor woman right before you assumed you were going to get fired… Why, that's tantamount to kidnapping! Saturna, did you have any idea he had these motivations? And Blaize," he waggled a finger at him, "were you trying to get under my skin on purpose, you sly old dog."

Blaize looked at Saturna curiously. She had a heady smile on her face. "Do you know what this is about?" he asked her.

Saturna hopped up on her toes, excited, and started clapping. "Just open it!"

Kael'thas said nothing.

After the sound of ripping paper, came Blaize's characteristic patient voice. The card inside was scarlet, the writing done in beautiful gold calligraphy. "Esteemed General Nathaniel Blaize…" he read. "You are hereby welcomed… summer ball… July the Thirtieth." He frowned. "In the honor of… The Ever Chaste, Mistress of the Light, Glorious Queen of the Black Temple, and Esteemed Champion of the Mighty Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider!" And what in blazes is this last part, "...And if everything goes well, a once in a lifetime, marathon cherry tasting?"

Saturna gasped and hit Kael'thas in the arm when Blaize wasn't looking.

Blaize looked up at the sound and sputtered, "Mighty… Queen of… what in the hell is wrong with you?"

"All those things are true." He reached over and pointed to the text. "Well, except for the chaste part… I didn't know how to summarize that intense sort of feeling a man gets when Saturna walks into a room… well, actually I do have a few words for it, but it isn't really decent on paper or an official invitation you see, so I went to the other extreme hoping that people would catch my drift. And what do you mean, scoffing at the word 'mighty?' I am Mighty."

"You arrogant, son of a—"

"Son of King Anasterian Sunstrider, and he the son of the Sunstrider before him and so on going back to Dath'remar Sunstrider, the very first. Do you think me a fool, General Blaize?" Kael'thas started yelling. "This is far from over. I don't care how you rationalized it to Saturna. I'm not from the sort of people who just let things like this go, without a fight. If you can get out of a fistfight with me, if you can fool her and undo my sweeping her off her feet, then we are going to face off over something else." He pointed angrily at the invitation. "This is it! You get a chance with her, and then I get a chance. You succeed or you fail, no trying to skirt competing with me! We are, once and for all, going toe to toe."

He stole a kiss from Saturna on the cheek and said next, "And the best part is, Advisor Sorn gave me a marvelous idea to make it even better. All of Outland is invited to come and see us settle this once and for all. All of Illidan's allies will be there to enjoy the event, thousands of invitations, just like the one you're holding, have already gone out to the Murkbloods, the Dragonmaw Orcs, the Broken... and countless others that we hope to court to our side. I want everyone to see you fail. Then, there will be absolutely no question as to who will win the Lady's heart, with so many people watching."

"You're out of your mind, Kael'thas—"

"Dispense the invitations!" Kael'thas shouted. Advisor Sorn marched into the Barracks then, flanked on either side by two long files of Sunfury guards. Sorn pointed and gave directions. The guards began to call the soldiers by name and hand them similar golden envelopes from heavy crates they carried. Blaize tried to stop it, to order them to stay in ranks, but the excitement was just too much. Men and women began cheering that the invitations asked for them by name. The invitations also spoke of finely crafted dragon bone china from black dragons in the Blade's Edge mountains, an orchestra of violas from Tempest Keep, flowers harvested from Nagrand… A lot of people were really confused by the cherry tasting thing, but it didn't matter. They chattered excitedly. When the guards were done, Sorn waved a hand to round them up and they formed lines again.

"We will now go and invite the Naga, Fel Orcs, and Demons as you instructed, my Prince." Sorn bowed and left.

"You!" Kael'thas pointed at Saturna. "You will be my queen for a night, as the Lady of Honor. I hope you take advantage of the occasion and dress your station, the way you always dreamed."

Saturna covered her mouth to keep from screaming with delight.

"And you," he pointed to General Blaize. "Don't you dare spoil this special night for her. It's what she's always wanted."

Blaize rushed after him, raising a fist. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to stand for—"

"General Nathaniel Blaize!" Saturna screamed at the top of her lungs. Everyone hushed. "I will kill you if you take this away from me. I mean it! I will hurt you." Saturna got a wild look in her eyes, and then pointed at him, just pointed, the way he did with his soldiers, the way he did to Kael'thas on many occasions.

Across the room, Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore opened their mouths in shock.

"Saturna… has gone crazy." Fennore spoke for all of them.

Pyorin smirked. "I don't think General Blaize was counting on that."

"But Kael'thas was…" Sunthraze said. "He knew just how to push her buttons. There's nothing Blaize can say or do to deter her now." he blinked. "And we all thought it was hopeless... Wow, he's good." As Kael'thas passed on the way out, Sunthraze began to clap.

Then Pyorin slowly joined in, then Fennore. It caught like fire among the Sunfury, rose to a frenzied celebration.

As it swelled and echoed, Kael'thas walked taller. At last, he began to strut down the Main Causeway. It was a powerful and purposeful swagger. Aggressive, intensely masculine, confident. Sexy. Cheers began to erupt all over the Black Temple as the Naga got their invitations, then the Demons. People came out to thank him for the relief from war, from the mundane.

Kael'thas didn't hear them though. He was lost in his own happy thoughts. "My very own… shining star." He sang.


	16. A Ball at the Black Temple

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Sixteen: A Ball at the Black Temple **(This chapter is kind of long...)

Pyorin's date for the ball was a tailor named Sophie. The personality of the sultry brunette manifested itself in the dramatic work of art that was Saturna's dress. The red gown was beautiful but also… wicked somehow. Exactly the sort of thing a woman Bloodknight might wear if the sinful world was a ballroom and she intended to punish everyone with spells that burned with lust and not the Light. And who was to say that Saturna wasn't? Tonight, she was certainly making up for a cruelly pilfered past. Truly, a blow to the head with a mace would have been better for all the male guests, than for Saturna to dress herself so passionately with no clear beau in mind.

Sophie the tailor snipped the last stitch with a pair of scissors and smiled up in awe of her creation. "Saturna, there's no going back now. If anyone wants to get you out of that dress tonight, they are going to have to rip it off."

Red chiffon bunched strategically over Saturna's backside and then trailed in a shower of folds at the back of the full skirt. The lightweight crinkly fabric was pulled tight across the bodice, but over Saturna's bust it became clear that the red cloth actually formed a kind of intricate veil that floated transparent against a black boustiea. The chiffon did little more than cover what the black lingerie already barely held at bay. Saturna wore a long black slip underneath the skirt of the dress. The lace fringe of the skirt peeked out where the red cloth graced the tips of her scarlet shoes.

"By the way… people are taking bets. I'd love to know just whom you're going to let tear off that dress tonight?" Sophie joked intimately.

Saturna blushed. "I am married to General Blaize… And by 'people' I assume you mean you, and I'm going to take a wild guess that you've put a lot of money on Kael'thas."

"Don't look at me like that! My date happens to be the bookie, I'm just doing a little harmless research." Both she and Saturna shared a laugh, then Sophie's tone went serious. "Have some fun on the side, Saturna." She had to lower her voice even more when there was a knock on the door. "I can assure you, if you don't sleep with Kael'thas, someone else will." Finally the door opened and she mouthed, "And he's hot!"

General Blaize stood there in a dark red festival suit that was the same color as his blood red hair and his date's dress. Many of the couples tonight had planned matching outfits.

Blaize went pale when he saw what his wife was wearing. "You are not wearing that. Take it off right now."

Saturna lifted her skirt out of the way of her feet so she could safely step down from the chair she was standing on. She walked up very close to her husband, close enough to kiss him, but didn't.

"Oh Nate, are you really…" she breathed onto his lips, "going to keep me from having my way?"

Sophie got her sewing materials and quickly left. The sound of the door shutting behind Blaize made him flinch.

Her husband reached out to touch her, almost afraid. Blaize smoothed a stray curl of white-gold hair, for Saturna wore her hair up tonight, back behind her long ears and swallowed. Then his finger trailed down her cheek, her neck… at last he smoothed over the delicate flush of her breasts. Saturna smiled at the feel of him and inhaled suddenly. Blaize paused, lost in the vision of his wife breathing. He attempted to slip his fingers into her dress, anywhere at all… at last it frustrated him and he had to make himself stop. Sophie wasn't joking, her creation wouldn't budge.

"No, I wouldn't dare. You look… stunning." Happy defeat weighted his voice.

Saturna very slowly kissed him. Rich red lipstick stained her husband's mouth when she was done. "Thank you, Nate, for letting me have this night. It was a little girlhood dream of mine, to be Queen. You don't know how much this means to me—"

He kissed her back, stifling the rest. It was angry and brief. "Don't get carried away." He warned her.

Saturna stole another kiss and then twirled out of Blaize's grasp when he again reached for her. He smiled a little at how she played with him. At the nearby table, she got a small hand-mirror and reapplied re-applied her lipstick. Then she handed it to her husband with a handkerchief so he could clean up. "I see you smiling, Nate. You can thank Sophie for the brilliantly tailored gown. It fits me exactly, so that means this dress isn't coming off unless it gets ripped off. You see, the way she had to tailor it…"

"Good. That means Kael'thas can't get in either. Oh, and Saturna… when you're made to dance with that crazy warlock please keep this in mind: No matter what he says or does, I am your husband. After we're done at the ball, _I_ am the one who's going bring you back here and tear that dress off with my teeth." He opened the door for his new wife, bowed, and extended his hand.

"Nate! I've never heard you speak that way…"

He grinned. "My love, I _am_ a gentleman, you already know that. It's the dress…" he lavished looking her over once more. "Don't say that I didn't warn you." When she placed her hand in his, he very gently kissed it.

Just outside, Sophie who wore a yellow dress, had an arm linked in Pyorin's. Sunthraze held the Naga priestess She'shara's hand, and Fennore… well it was some obscure and possessive blonde Sunfury woman that no one recognized. He didn't seem too happy about it either. The three of them wore finely made tuxedo suits with ties that matched their dates.

You could see the three Bloodknights fidget uncomfortably as they fought not to make a comment about Saturna's dress in front of the ladies.

"Everyone wants to walk with the Queen, I take it?" Saturna asked sweetly and waved hello to them all.

"I think 'ogle' is the verb you want and 'seductress' is a more fitting noun..."

Sunthraze's witty remark was cut right off by She'shara's loud hissing. After, she growled something at him in Naga that made him bow his head in shame.

"Wow! She'shara… what did you say? He's completely whipped!" Pyorin laughed.

She'shara smiled. Her green skin set off the pink dress she wore, like some exotic coral reef had caught fire underwater. "I reminded him that he'sss mine. By… threatening to lay my eggs in his body if he issn't careful."

The little group was a spatter of amused and disturbed reactions. Pyorin cleared his throat, and led them into the Main Causeway to join the hordes of other guests.

General Blaize insisted that having such an event would leave the Black Temple vulnerable to attack, but yet again, he underestimated the genius of Kael'thas Sunstrider. The Blood Elf Prince hadn't just invited a few of Illidan's friends. He urged all the bosses of all the dungeons associated with Illidan to come along with their dates, dangerous friends, and any other nefarious people Illidan hoped to court to his side. This transformed the Black Temple into the most dangerous place in the all of Outland for an evening. This also meant that valet parking was probably a nightmare... poor Kurgal.

The whole place was decorated with elegant lanterns blazing different colors of enchanted flame. Red streamers wound around ruined columns and lined the balconies along the first story of the Main Causeway. Guests who walked in through the gates of the Black Temple were guided by the red carpet and garlands to the Great Sacrificial Hall where the event was. On closer inspection, Saturna saw that the many red decorations were thousands of cherries on strings. Guests of all makes, from civilized Blood Elves, to a few ravenous and wary Ogres were eating them. Blaize wanted to know what the inside joke was but Saturna kept her mouth shut. Her Bloodknights seemed to have found out somehow though, and they snickered.

In the Great Sacrificial Hall, stone steps lead up to a dais and ruined altar that Lady Vashj and Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider stood in front of. The Naga Queen wore a royal blue dress that flowed in the air and sparkled as if she were underwater. She wore a gold crown on her head.

"You are handsome tonight, Prince Kael'thas." She told him without looking at him.

Kael'thas looked down at his black festival suit. It had a high collar, and was embroidered with rare shadowthread that, in the right light, glistened a deep red the color of clotted blood. The intricate embroidered scene was a magnificent man-sized artwork of a phoenix doing battle with a black dragon, if one was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Prince at the right perspective at just the right moment. The eye of the phoenix was stylized in blazing gold over Kael'thas' heart and of course, the magical beast was also winning.

Around Kael'thas' waist was swathed a bright red sash tied into a knot on his right hand side. His Mageblade was fastened there by elaborately wound tassled ends of the cloth belt. He wore the sword as if it were an officer's ceremonial saber. The style of his hair favored that look, the suggestion that he was not just a Prince but also a military superpower in Outland. It even further suggested that his barber was overjoyed to be given a chance to change his master's hair from the usual all-over-his-shoulders look. The rich gold hair had been pulled back into the intimidating high ponytail of a warrior. But that wasn't enough, it seemed, because Kael'thas had so much to work with. Several thick strands were woven together to build up the soldier's look and create a kind of post modern version of the ancient Thalassian style. Finally, the end of the long tress was slung carelessly over his right shoulder. To balance that, stray strands of sun-yellow hair were allowed to fall alongside his face on either side. It was a rare look for the Blood Elf prince. He appeared more deadly than he ever did in his red royal regalia. Finally, Kael'thas wore black gloves underneath his long sleeves. As if to ensure that his look would not be too brutish, at what was, afterall, a celebration, there were thick golden rings over the cloth gloves, on just one finger of each hand.

"I suppose it is nice to be wearing pants and not a robe at a formal occasion, for once." Kael'thas smiled proudly at his new look and played with a single black rose he held behind his back. "And you are a vision, as usual," he bowed to Lady Vashj.

Finally, the Naga Queen gave what seemed a genuine smile. "You will be dancing with me first, Kael'thas." She looked him in the eye. Her two male dates began to clack their jaws angrily.

"Silence!" she hissed at them.

Kael'thas squinted an eye, but he knew better than to challenge the woman's vanity, of all things.

"Of course, my Queen."

"I thought Saturna Whiteblade wasss the Queen of the Black Temple?" She jealously retorted.

"A mistake on the scribe's part, I'm sure." He bowed to her again. Lady Vashj was not satisfied with this explanation. "Is our Lord Illidan nearby? We cannot wait forever to start this without him."

Kael'thas lowered his eyes, searching the Soul Link. "He is going to come but there is some emergency… he will be late."

"Fine, but the celebration must go on until he arrives. He is owed a dance with Mistress Saturna, at least. Sssince you made her the Lady of Honor."

Kael'thas flinched. He hadn't considered that. He hated Lady Vashj for slyly bringing it up now.

Lady Vashj only smiled. Her consorts laughed fiendishly.

Advisor Sorn had a very good speaking voice, but mostly Kael'thas didn't want him talking his ear off for the entire evening. That is why, from where he stood at the base of the stone steps, he was made to announce every notable guest that arrived.

"Swamplord Musel'ek, ruler of the Murkblood."

A Broken hunter skittered forth wearing clacking bone trinkets around his neck. He was about twice the height of a Murloc and came up to Sorn's knee. Two wary shaman walked beside him wore loincloths and capes, their arms folded tightly across their bare chests.

"Warchief Kargath Bladefist of Hellfury Citadel." Sorn bowed and led the people gathered in a round of clapping. The grand hall was crowded with guests who were already talking and eating over the sway of jubilant violas. As was befitting a gathering of the Demon Lord's allies, the song turned villainous at intervals with the help of booming drums.

"Hydromancer Thespia from The Steamvaults." a Naga woman escorted by two water elemental bodyguards waved to the cheering throngs.

"Mekgineer Steamrigger of The Steamvaults." Clearly he and Hydromancer Thespia had traveled together. A team of Leper Gnomes escorted a fiendish looking shredder. It kept sputtering to a stop every few paces but they rushed around and after the whirring of tiny handheld machines, the pit crew quickly had it up and running again.

High Astromancer Solarian of Tempest Keep, Warden Mellichar who kept mumbling about 'The Great One', Pathaleon the Calculator, a Satyr named Thorngrin and Commander Sarannis were among the guests from Tempest Keep. They cheered up at Kael'thas and saluted as they passed by the dais.

Next was Akama, the leader of the Ashtongue Deathsworn who aided Illidan in retaking the Black Temple. Finally, various members of the Shadow Council floated in wearing black cloaks with hoods that covered their faces. Kael'thas wasn't a member, but they all made secret hand gestures at him that he recognized and acknowledged with a nod.

The dais was set beside the door. It was possible for Lady Vashj and Kael'thas to peer over the balcony edge and see who was coming before Sorn announced them. At the moment, Kael'thas was using that advantage to look for Saturna. He twirled the black rose he held behind his back in anxious fingers. The esteemed guests made their way up to shake hands with the Blood Elf Prince and Lady Vashj who were Illidan's closest allies.

The Naga Queen kept hissing at Kael'thas to stay on track, or risk offending the people he himself invited.

He was shaking the hand of Leotheras the Blind, a Blood Elf Demon Hunter who worked in the Steamvaults when at the edge of Kael'thas' peripheral vision, he thought he saw the woman that he knew very well. But she was more than that now…

"… and considering that Lord Illidan should be turning into a Demon this year, I want to offer my services as a counselor. I have much experience helping people to release their inner Demons." Leotheras was saying.

Kael'thas went and leaned right over the decorated railing. "Yes, whatever your heart desires…" he responded quickly, not even thinking.

It was a brief glimpse, because she was walking quickly through a sea of people. But from his vantage point, Kael'thas got a look directly down Saturna's dress. He could see everything, and how the black lingerie moved with her. It incensed him, he wanted to jump over the edge and have her right then and there. His hand slipped…

All three Bloodknights walking with Saturna raised golden shields and turned to the threat. But it was only a black rose falling through the air. Pyorin caught it before it fell on their Commander.

Sunthraze saw Kael'thas scrambling to compose himself stories above and grinned. "Saturna, someone was very eager to say hello to you." He took the flower from Pyorin and handed it to her. Then, he pointed up.

When Saturna saw Kael'thas standing there, she stopped walking. Blaize looked annoyed while everyone waited for them to greet each other. Saturna could only smile at Kael'thas, and he smile at her. Finally, Kael'thas managed to say through his daze,

"I want you."

Blaize angrily pulled Saturna into motion again. She sneaked a blown kiss and a giddy wave to her Prince with her free hand.

"Aww… those two are so in love." Fennore sighed. "Why did it take all this craziness for them to finally act like it?" Fennore complained in a whisper to Sunthraze.

"Because, in their own way… the both of them are dumb blondes." Then he eyed Fennore's hair. "Uh… no offense."

Fennore didn't defend himself or his date. She scowled and punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!"

General Blaize escorted Saturna up the many stairs to where Kael'thas and Lady Vashj were standing. One could tell that he hated every moment of it.

"How kind of you to bring me my Queen." Kael'thas smirked at Blaize. His General gave a gruff salute, left Saturna and marched angrily back down the stairs. After checking for any more notable guests near the entrance, Sorn began moving through the crowd to reach the dais.

As soon as Kael'thas had Saturna, he began fingering the back of her dress, his hands concealed by the wall at their backs. He whispered over her ear, nearly intentionally kissing it, "Do you intend to drive me mad? Is there some trick to getting into to your dress?"

Saturna folded her hands politely in front of herself. "Why are you already trying to undress me?"

"I don't need to undress you… I just want to touch you indecently so that I can start having an affair with you as soon as possible. Where _is_ that seam?"

"I was instructed by the dressmaker that what I am wearing tonight is nothing short of a tailoring miracle. It won't come off unless it is ripped off. Once it's gone, there's no putting it back on, so you should try your hardest to calm down, Kael'thas."

Kael'thas exhaled, frustrated. "Now it's starting to feel like _my_ birthday… such a nice present for me, and wrapped so tightly."

Lady Vashj started chatting with Saturna.

"By the Sun, I love you." Kael'thas kept whispering into her ear. "You are perfect, Saturna. I want you so badly…do you know what this is doing to me? It's killing me…" Lady Vashj frowned at Kael'thas' rudeness. Saturna blushed.

"Where I am from, a man is beaten for speaking over his queen."

"Lady Vashj, that's hardly appropriate. As Kael'thas' protector, I insist—"

"And women who dare impersonate my office are executed!" The Naga Queen hissed at Saturna next.

Indignant, Saturna looked up at Kael'thas to defend her. He turned his head and pretended to be very absorbed in something across the room.

Lady Vashj refused to speak to either Blood Elf after that. Sorn finally arrived at the top of the stairs and began his long speech about the might of Lord Illidan, the immeasurable value of faithful allies, especially these days when the Alliance and the Horde rallied against them… Kael'thas kept whispering in Saturna's ear and fiddling with the back of her dress. Perhaps he was working himself up too much.

"And now I hand the christening of this prestigious event off to the Mighty Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, the Master of Tempest Keep, and our worthy Host for the evening…"

Illidan was supposed to do it but he wasn't there yet. Everyone watched Kael'thas flirting with an embarrassed Saturna for a long pause before she finally pushed away his eager hands and he realized what was going on.

Advisor Sorn looked very disappointed, but not surprised. He stepped aside. Kael'thas came to stand at the edge of the stair, cleared his throat…

_Sorn! What was Illidan supposed to say?_ He whispered.

"Well, you're not the one to say it in his place. Perhaps as the Lord of the Blood Elves, you should say something about the might of the Sunfury, your experiments all around Outland," he flicked his hand around in expectant circles.

"I believe that… Sorn said it best. But I will add one last, important message." Kael'thas waited, as he thought about what that could possibly be, then grinned. "There is a red Hawkstrider parked awkwardly outside the gates… with a collar that reads," he fished around for a random piece of paper in his pocket, "Nathaniel Blaize? General, it seems you should leave the temple right now, and see to it. Don't worry, I'll watch your wife."

Shocked gasps rose up from the crowd. Then, it turned to laughter. Kael'thas laughed too. He looked at General Blaize the entire time. Fennore, Pyorin, and Sunthraze fought to hold Saturna's husband back.

A loud drumroll signaled that the beginning of the event. Still no sign of Illidan. Kael'thas pretended to wipe a tear from his eye as he recovered from the laughter. Sorn handed him a golden tiara. Kael'thas turned and gently placed on Saturna's head. "Happy Birthday, my Queen."

Saturna was full to bursting over the excitement, but this pushed her over the edge. She opened her mouth and out came the most horrifying high pitched scream anyone had ever heard in the Black Temple. And, considering that the strongest most sadistic Demons in Illidan's entourage resided there, that was really saying something.

"Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Saturna hopped on her toes, kissed Kael'thas all over his face and hugged him over and over again. After five whole minutes of this, she attempted to calm down from her fangirl outburst, but ended up clapping giddily for herself instead and hopped around in little contained circles.

Kael'thas' eyes got very wide, and he reached up and rubbed his ear over long raised eyebrows.

Disturbed silence.

Advisor Sorn massaged his temples and came forward once more. "And now, without further adieu… Let the first dance begin!"

People cheered, and the orchestra played their first serenade of the evening.

Lady Vashj slithered imbetween Kael'thas and Saturna. "Come, let's dance Blood Elf Prince." She eyed Saturna jealously and escorted him down the stairs.

Blaize saw it and quickly made his way up…

"Sorn! Dance with her. But don't make me mad!" Kael'thas hastily instructed as Lady Vashj dragged him down below.

Sorn hesitantly took Saturna's hand. "I have no idea how to be attentive where you are concerned and not incite his Majesty's wrath." Sorn worried, then guided her down the steps to the dance floor.

They passed by an angry General Blaize who then stalked away, brooding.

"Um, Trish… I see a friend of mine, going to say hello... be right back" Fennore let go the hand of his date and ran off. She started swearing loudly when the blonde Bloodknight rushed through the crowd to get to a tall red succubus everyone knew as Mavia the Maneater.

"We've both been abandoned and betrayed it seems," General Blaize bowed to the woman who survived being Fennore's date for a good twenty minutes. "May I have this dance?" The brusque Sunfury woman saluted Blaize, which startled him, and then pulled them into a fast waltz.

The song finished and Saturna asked for red wine when Advisor Sorn offered. He clearly underestimated the limits of chivalry. General Blaize had been watching his wife like a hawk the entire time. As soon as Sorn was a good distance towards the banquet table, he swooped in and got Saturna's hand. Now, across the room, Kael'thas gave Blaize a murderous look. Lady Vashj was more than happy to snatch the handsome prince back.

"Thisss is not just about pleasure Kael'thasss," Lady Vashj hissed. She took him by the arm and walked him over to where Illidan's allies had gathered. They weren't mingling into the party well at all, and seemed to cling to their traveling companions. The Fel Orcs from the Ramparts wouldn't dare talk to the people who'd sloughed up from Coilfang Reservoir. And the Coilfang bunch was a mess all to itself. Representatives from the Underbog, the Slavepens, and the Steamvaults eyed each other with suspicion. Lady Vashj was especially unhappy about this.

"You're charming. You go talk to them. I'll attempt to knock some sssense into my own bretheren..." Lady Vashj abandoned Kael'thas to go snarl at Warlord Kalithresh, a tall male Naga who looked to be wearing some diluted version–and considering he did lots of work underwater, it most likely was diluted–of a hunter's Giantstalker's armor.

"Ahh, Warchief Kargath Bladefist... so good to see you again... err... for the first time." Kael'thas bowed uncomfortably. Having been an arcane crystal addict at the time of his arrival in Outland he didn't fully remember who he met and worked with down in Hellfire Peninsula.

"What's this? A warrior look? On _you._" Kargath snickered at Kael'thas' fierce new hairdo.

"I just wanted to try something different..."

"What is it about warlocks, thinking they're better'n everyone else, huh? Let me tell you somethin'. I got warlocks over in the Shadow Council who bow to _me_, Kael'thas. And I didn't have to put on a dress for it. It's a shame you felt you had to look a warrior to be taken seriously." he grunted.

Kael'thas was about to insult the man in turn, but then got confused. Had the Fel Orc actually complimented him? It was hard to tell when Warchief Kargath made hand gestures with weapons attached to the ends of his arms.

Lady Vashj returned then when she saw how distracted Kael'thas was. She re-introduced him to Vazruden the Herald and his Netherdrake mount Nazan, Omor the Unscarred and the terrorfiend's two felhounds who for some reason were named Bitey and Crunchy–Kael'thas made some snide comment about Demons not being meant to have their own Demon pets before Lady Vashj yanked him onward–and finally from the Hellfire Citadel Ramparts group, Watchkeeper Gargolmar, another Fel Orc with weapons for hands. Eventhough he wasn't in any danger at the Black Temple, Gargolmar still had his two healers with him.

"Alright, I have to ask this... how in the world do you and Kargath use the bathroom?" Kael'thas raised a blonde eyebrow.

Watchkeeper Gargolmar looked really embarrassed then. "Wasn't thinkin' about that at the time I got these put on my arms... but they do it." he gestured to the two black-robed Fel Orcs on either side of him. They looked very displeased.

Kael'thas sighed and proclaimed that he didn't need to hear anymore.

"Because Quagmirran and Rokmar the Crackler _insisted_ on being each other's dates, Mennu the Betrayer refusssed to come!" Lady Vashj told Kael'thas next when they came to greet a huge Bog Lord and a large monster that looked like an oversized Makrura Clacker.

"Ugh... I hope those two never breed... that's just disgusting! And I thought that you had it easier than I did, with Coilfang Reservoir hidden underneath the water and all. Tempest Keep is such a tempting eyesore to raiders." Kael'thas told Lady Vashj under his breath. "Well, if that really is all, I need to get back to Saturna–"

"Kael'thas! The Kael'thasinator, the Kael'thasarama, the Kael'meister... boss man, apple of my eye!"

"No... not him!" Kael'thas tried to hide himself behind the Naga Queen but her hair full of serpents writhed right out of the way. Pathaleon the Calculator tapped Kael'thas on the shoulder, and he had to turn around.

"Ah... Pathaleon," he laughed nervously. "How's it going..."

"What is the square root of pi? Did you get it? Okay, now add that to the number of Gnomes it takes to fill Ironforge, times the remainder you get when you divide five into nine..." this went on for a very long time, with Pathaleon making it more and more annoying and complex at various turns.

"The answer is five." Kael'thas angrily insisted at the end.

"But no it isn't–"

"It's five! And yes to whatever crazy experiment you want to do this time, assuming that's why you're bugging me. I don't want any of the zany details."

Pathaleon grinned, bowed, and walked away.

"I hate that guy! He's useful, but so annyoing." Kael'thas told Lady Vashj.

"Yes, yes. Now come thisss way, Kael'thas. Akama was able to make it, and he brought the Ashtongue Deathsworn. I hear he wants to install a backdoor into the Black Temple as a way to facilitate raiding... you know, as an emergency exit for us?"

Kael'thas furrowed his brow. "Does Illidan listen to him very often?"

"No, why?"

While Kael'thas was hopelessly distracted by profoundly complex political entanglements of his own creation, and also the potential repercussions of inviting all the bosses of all the dungeons connected to Illidan and his friends into one place at one time, General Blaize was finally enjoying time with Saturna.

"So how am I supposed to win tonight?" he grunted. "You're already my wife, I don't see what more I should do."

"Well, whatever it is, Kael'thas is doing a better job than you are, Nate. Couldn't you at least be happy for me? It _is_ my birthday."

"Oh, yes, your birthday. I suppose that is why you jumped all over another man up on that stage? Having fun, are you?" Blaize almost growled at his wife.

"Nate, I'm sorry… I don't know what's come over me?"

"Well, I do. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take you home right now. You're embarrassing both of us!"

Saturna lowered her eyes as she thought about this. "Nate, you aren't at all acting the way you were when I first met you, and fell in love with you."

The kindly look again returned to Blaize's eyes as his wife's words humbled him. "Oh, Saturna… I'm so sorry. I had no idea you cared so strongly--"

Saturna wrenched away from him then. "And so you married me, assuming that I had no real feelings for you at all?"

"That's not what I meant! Neither of us wanted to be alone out here, in the middle of the war and everything else!"

She didn't have to say it. The fear that Kael'thas was right about her new husband, that he had been right all along was clear from Saturna's outrage. She grabbed fistfuls of her overflowing skirt and rushed off. Blaize called after her, but lowered his voice when people began to stare. Then he broke into a run when she saw his wife heading towards Kael'thas.

The Blood Elf Prince saw her, grinned jubilantly… but Lady Vashj clamped her claws around his arm precisely when Saturna walked past and grabbed Pyorin.

Sophie's instinctual reaction to having her date stolen was much the same as Lady Vashj's.

"I'm begging you, let me take him for now…" Saturna told Sophie, "Well, if not for my sake, then think of your winnings!"

Sophie relinquished the stymied Pyorin with a knowing wink and then wrapped both arms around General Blaize's waist and spun him around before he could get hold of Saturna.

"Private Sophie!"

"General, do you think that Trisha is the only soldier who's been dying to get her hands on you?" she smiled sweetly and then danced him away from Saturna who had buried her face into her tank's safe warm shoulder.

Blaize didn't think of Pyorin as competition so he allowed Saturna some time alone, for now. "Wait, who's Trisha?"

"Fennore's date." She grunted. They both were eventually drawn to the sight of the broad shouldered woman pushing past people on their left to get to back to her date Fennore. Fennore was trying to maneuver the succubus Mavia away from her demoness cronies for a dance. Two songs had gone by already and he still wasn't successful. Sophie and Blaize agreed that they couldn't watch what was about to happen to the poor Bloodknight next.

Being allowed to physically prevent Blaize from ruining her bet kept Sophie cheerfully occupied with Saturna's husband for the majority of the evening. However, Sophie wasn't dating Pyorin merely to get an edge where the betting pool was concerned. When she saw how comfortable Saturna was against his strong shoulders, and how content the tank was to protect her, Sophie suddenly remembered exactly why she was so excited about that evening.

She abandoned General Blaize, mid-song and tapped Saturna on the shoulder. "M'lady, perhaps Pyorin is a comfort to you but he's _my_ ride home."

Pyorin boggled at this. "But we walked here—"

Sophie slipped imbetween Saturna and Pyorin just when the tank realized his date's meaning. He grinned and kissed his Sophie on the lips.

"But Pyorin!"

"Sorry, Commander, but you're on your own tonight… permission to dance freely?" He teased Saturna then led his date away.

As soon as Saturna turned around, she was facing a flustered General Blaize. Saturna did a three-quarter spin on her heels, ducked his arm that swept around to catch her, and then practically hopped out of the way. All these years later, and she still maintained a great deal of a Thalassian Lady's courtly survival skills. Of course, if not executed elegantly, the woman looks like she's fleeing from her date, which Saturna was… but in a nice way.

Across the room, the Prince of Kael'thas saw the classic move, and knew that it was time for him to execute a move of his own.

In the middle of an important conversation with Mekgineer Steamrigger and his crew, Kael'thas took Lady Vashj's other hand and danced her off into a series of twirls. He watched her eyes the whole time, pegged the exact moment when she got dizzy and then released her hand. The other which clamped painfully onto his wrist Kael'thas turned into quickly, using his shoulder backed by a great force of strength from his upper body to break free. While the woman was briefly and slightly incapacitated he used his momentum to leap away from her.

Once released, it took exceptional chivalrous guile to make that sprint from an obsessive date look less panicked than it actually was. It helped to stay on your toes until the room stopped spinning and then at that precise moment, redirect yourself at the true woman of interest without losing speed.

Kael'thas was conscious of Lady Vashj slithering hastily after him the entire time… she was certainly used to this kind of upperclass survive-or-die dance behavior, which Kael'thas hadn't counted on.

He did everything short of break into a mad dash towards Saturna who leapt and twirled around moving couples to reach him.

Finally, just when their fingers were about to touch, Something fiery red yanked Saturna out of the way. Kael'thas was so riled up he at first thought it was one of his own fire spells.

"Commander, you almost made a terrible scene back there. Aren't you glad I saved you from it?"

Saturna looked from the wily Sunthraze to her Kael'thas who was being ambushed by both Lady Vashj and She'shara at that moment. The two Naga women had a brief catfight as Lady Vashj bared her teeth and swatted She'shara away. The priestess spread her webbed claws defensively in defeat. Then, she slithered backward to trip up General Blaize and to seize him on his way to the ground as a consolation prize. If not the alpha male, then the beta would do.

"Don't frown at me like that, Saturna. I hardly think of myself as the Omega wolf at this happy occasion." Sunthraze then very strategically danced his commander far across the room.

And in case you were wondering, blonde Trisha openly pushed Mavia the Maneater away from Fennore when she at last came to salvage what was left of her date with the third available Bloodknight. There was some struggling and hair pulling involved, but finally Fennore encouraged Harriet to calm down before she seized too much of his dark gold hair. Mavia had lost interest in the two strange Blood Elves and strutted away some time ago, annoyed.

Right around the same time, something finally made Lady Vashj release Kael'thas. He ran to the nearest available woman and danced her away, in hot pursuit of Sunthraze without bothering to see the price of his freedom.

Or, more than likely, it was because he already knew who it was.

Lord Illidan placed a heavy clawed hand on the Naga Queen's shoulder. "My Lord, so good of you to make it. We were all worried," she laughed nervously. It was obvious already that they weren't concerned about Illidan in the slightest and started the party hours ago without him.

The violas reached fever pitch now, and loud drums were introduced into the latest song. In an instant, the celebration transformed into something more befitting a Demon Lord and his minions. Across the room, the Demons half wrestled with eachother, half danced, half broke furniture, smiling and snarling all the while.

"There was an emergency." Illidan's voice had an eerie hollow edge to it. He couldn't control it… and then it became obvious that he had been working hard to steady it all these years and only now lost control. He tried speaking again, carefully, but now it sounded like he was possessed, something vile slithering up his throat. "I need you and the others to meet, now."

Lady Vashj's charming smile faded briefly, "I can't go, I have a ssspecial victory ball afterparty planned. "Scy'thlerin will go in my place."

Illidan growled at her and Lady Vashj realized what she'd just done. She put on another smile and tried trailing a claw up the inside of Illidan's wrist to distract him. And as far as enticing Demons was concerned, drawing a little blood helped. Illidan eased into her touch.

"My Lord, my Massster… what I meant was this is an event in your honor. Let usss have at least one dance first?" it was more supplication than seduction, as she knew Demons preferred.

Illidan took a step closer to the Naga Queen, unable to completely resist. She made a pathetic pleading sound deep in her throat, raised her green clawed hands as if she were begging for mercy. Her consorts hovered nearby, knowing better than to interrupt their Mistress at work.

Finally, Illidan took the bait.

"I look like a fool now, you know that, don't you?" he began to dance with her.

Lady Vashj used all her self restraint to keep from cringing at the unsettling sound of Illidan's voice.

"You _are_ handsome, My Lord. I simply cannot resist you. However, now that you have chosen to dance with me, taken my very life into your clutches, I at last feel whole."

Then Illidan actually, very slightly, smiled at her. "You are a good friend. I will let you distract me for now… but the matter I mentioned, we must see to it tonight. I need to see every last one of my generals." He attempted to whisper.

Lady Vashj had saved the entire event. To seal the deal, she added, "Yes, I am a good friend… and I can be more… if you should ever need, my Massster."

Word spread fast that the Lord of Outland had at last arrived at the ball.

Kael'thas hovered nearby Saturna, watching for any opening that he expected Sunthraze, a loyal Bloodknight to give… Sunthraze kept on dancing with his commander as if he had no idea why Kael'thas danced so nearby with a partner who was in awe of him, but that the Blood Elf Prince could obviously care less about. General Blaize maneuvered in from the other side, keeping She'shara between he and Saturna so that the Naga woman wouldn't see what he was about to do.

Kael'thas and Blaize glared at each other, mouthing ominous oaths that only the two men seemed to understand.

"Illidan is here." Sunthraze told Saturna, who shivered at the look her husband gave Kael'thas. Then she really did tremble when she spied the look Kael'thas passed over her head to Blaize. Then the Blood Elf Prince spun his date around so she couldn't see his hostile middle finger go up. Blaize's eyes went wide and he scoffed at this.

"Huh? I didn't hear what you just said, Sunthraze."

"I mean that the ball is over now that Illidan's arrived. How lucky I am to have my last dance with you." Then he fairly hugged her.

Saturna stiffened in his arms. "Sunthraze… are you telling me that you—"

"No, I can't say it. Pyorin would kill me, and then those two… but while they're distracted I suppose this is my opportunity to make the confession: I'm in love with you, my Commander. I know that we don't have a snowball's chance in the Molten Core… but I wanted to have you to myself for just one little moment." He gave her a sad smile. "And now that I've irrevocably crossed the line with my superior officer, and the innocence of the moment is gone, you'll have to excuse me." He bowed to her and ended their dance.

"Oh, Sunthraze… I don't know what to say. Wait! What are you doing? Don't leave me to these wolves!"

"Ah, but this is one wolf I absolutely have no chance against. Goodnight, Commander." He blew her a kiss and walked away.

Saturna turned around, very slowly, terrified of whom she'd find, but moreso worried about the state she'd find that man in, so late in the evening…

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Lady Vashj slyly reproached Illidan when he saw her staring.

The Demon Lord was never one to be ashamed of what he was doing. He didn't show Lady Vashj that kind of affection now, and continued to observe Saturna from afar. Instead of getting jealous this time, Lady Vashj decided to use Saturna's allure against her rival.

"My Lord, when was the last time you held a woman like that? An elven woman."

"Not for thousands of years…" then he looked up, curved black horns casting a shadow over Lady Vashj's glistening reptilian face. "No, I have recently… but that was only to save Tyrande's life, and then hand her over… to my brother." He growled at the end.

"But Kael'thas is better than your brother, isn't he?"

The idea was so appealing, it distracted Illidan from the alluring woman. Lady Vashj smiled to herself at her perceptiveness and kept going, "He's also an Elf, but far more loyal…" she looked away briefly, then added, "and handsome… isn't it nice that the two of you are like friends? And do you know what a very good friend does, Illidan? He shares."

As Illidan thought about her words, his gaze again shifted to Saturna.

"You are owed a dance with Kael'thas' woman tonight. And as you know, with the Soul Link, what's yours is hisss… and what's his… belongsss to you."

Enthralled with the notion, Illidan let go of Lady Vashj and walked over. The many party guests stopped what they were doing to watch.

General Blaize bowed to Saturna and offered his hand. Kael'thas stepped in and snatched the woman's hand. "Oh, Blaize, stop pandering as if you had actual chivalrous intentions… step aside."

It might as well have been Illidan who said it. The Betrayer stepped in front of Kael'thas, the way Kael'thas had just got infront of Blaize.

"My Lady." Lord Illidan took Saturna's hand and kissed it. She trembled, looked to Kael'thas for help… but he took a very large step out of the way. Then the Blood Elf Prince looked down to hide the anger on his face.

General Blaize was shocked to see Kael'thas' reaction.

Shaking, Saturna forced herself to do a curtsey, then wrapped her arm around Illidan's as she knew was expected of her. Next, the Demon Lord, in a surprisingly gentile manner, escorted Saturna to the middle of the dancefloor. The musicians let their current song fade, and wisely played another that matched Illidan's slow, confident waltz.

Saturna spoke to Illidan to keep herself calm. "You… are a very good dancer."

Illidan watched her for a very long time, and said nothing.

"I'm surprised, actually… I didn't think… well, I didn't observe any of the Demons to be dancing tonight."

"Violence and sex go together."

Saturna flinched. "Umm… My Lord?"

"That is how Demons enjoy romance. Surely, Kael'thas knew that, and left such tempting trifles on that side of the room," he pointed with a nod of his head and a black horn that naturally specified the way he meant. Saturna had to lean around him to see, Illidan was so large, but she caught his meaning eventually. Broken furniture and perhaps small fires? lay in scattered heaps around the Demons who crowded up near the orchestra, where the music was the loudest.

After a pause, Illidan told her, "I am not a Demon."

Saturna realized he meant this as a comfort. She swallowed. Illidan reached between them and stroked a black claw down her cheek.

"You are beautiful tonight, Queen of the Black Temple."

"Oh! I never meant to step into someone else's shoes… I hope I'm not offending one of your—"

"I have no one. Except for my soulmate." He looked over her shoulder at Kael'thas. "And he has you."

Saturna couldn't help asking, "Your… _soulmate_?"

Illidan was unable to keep the slithering sound out of his voice. It hissed at Saturna and she cringed. "I know… that you know about the Soul Link."

"Oh no,"

"It's nothing to be frightened about, Mistress Whiteblade. You have entered into a confidence that only two other people share, besides you and I." Saturna became conscious of Illidan looking down her dress, "You know who the other two are."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Yesss… beautiful words coming from a beautiful mouth. But you should be careful saying that word to me. I haven't asked you for anything yet." He pressed his thumb deeper into the palm of her hand. "And no one says No to me."

Despite her fear, Saturna felt compelled to say it at last and relieve the tension between them. "Illidan, you _are_ handsome." She conceded. Then, "I was afraid of you before, but… you are kind, aren't you? I didn't think you could be a nice person. And you're even… flirting with me. To be honest, when you first came over, I feared that maybe you would—"

"A man can be a monster as well as a gentleman. But you already understand this about Kael'thas, no?"

Saturna nodded.

"And so very kind of you to observe the same quality in me." He bowed to her and at last the song that seemed to go on forever, she only now realized, ended. Illidan was exceptionally handsome then, in a fiendish sort of way. Two soot-colored horns between them, a wing folded across his chest where his arm folded gracefully over his stomach. The other bat-like wing opened above him where his other arm swept up and back into his courtly bow.

Saturna found herself staring when Illidan rose and with a gesture of his talons, redirected her gaze.

"Your Queen is lovely." He told Kael'thas who was standing behind her.

Kael'thas' jaw was set tight. He managed a stiff bow at the waist, and watched Illidan depart several steps before daring to touch Saturna. The orchestra hesitated with this next song. Clearly, they would have abandoned the music and ended the party altogether if it was anyone else but the host for the evening in need of a dance.

Saturna kept looking over her shoulder to watch Illidan.

"So, you like him." Kael'thas accused.

Saturna started laughing and lay her head on Kael'thas' shoulder. "No, but he's fascinating… But by the look on your face, I'm tempted to like him you know. I've never seen you so jealous before… and I thought Nate had seen the worst of it from you. It's intriguing, the kind of passion you're capable of, and the sorts of feelings you generate in other people. Kael'thas, I should put you in a box and just study your rare emotions for days and days..."

Kael'thas furrowed his brow and changed the subject. "This is the part where I attempt to be more romantic with you than General Blaize, and change your mind out me. Well, you can forget it." Saturna glanced up briefly, concerned. Kael'thas slowed their dancing so that it was more intimate. "I am not going to speak to you decently, Saturna Whiteblade. You have so far ruined my mental faculties, I've wanted you so badly this entire evening and there have been too many distractions… I'm not even going to attempt idle banter." He pressed his cheek against hers as they danced. "After this… or maybe even immediately after this song, I am going to take you home with me Saturna. I am going to lay you down, in that dress…"

"Oh, Kael'thas, don't—"

"I want to see if you come out of it if you're lying down. I want to see if I can force you out of it, without taking it off of you, by moving you… with my hips," he kissed her cheek. "With my hands… with the help of magic. I don't care what it takes, or how long it takes. I won't rest until I've felt that red silk of yours, all over my naked body. And then perhaps after… that is all I want to see, the inside of your dress."

Saturna exhaled deeply. "It's actually chiffon–"

"Frustrated, are we?" Kael'thas was insistent. "Do you finally feel what I've been feeling since the first moment I saw you? I am going to ride you Saturna Whiteblade."

"Kael'thas…" she gasped. "You have the dirtiest mouth—"

"And so do you. Don't pretend to be a lady when I am no gentleman. When we first met, I promised to make you scream… you said something about turning my blade white."

"It was a bad joke—"

Kael'thas turned her in a circle, in time with the music. Women all over the room twisted in skirts that flared open like blooming flowers. Before the flourish of the violas was over though, Kael'thas seized Saturna back. He pressed into her, let his fingers smooth over her backside, against the crinkling red fabric.

"Kael'thas no… this isn't fair, we don't know who won yet, you or Nate--"

"Yes. Say my name again." He kissed her neck. Saturna reached up and wrapped her arms around him, looking helpless in the wake of his relentless advances. "Now you know what you do to me." He writhed with her, in time to the music. Then it stopped. He easily stepped away, bowed gracefully.

Saturna curtsied. Her hair had come loose. "Thank you for the dance, My Prince."

"Another song!" Kael'thas shouted. There was some confusion over in the orchestra, but then they played another. It began gentle at the start, but then the violas came and throbbed with emotion.

"You can't do that… the night is over."

Kael'thas wrapped both his arms around Saturna's waist. "We will be done here when you are ready to leave with me. There is no other way. You spoke about winners and losers. Don't you understand? You're the one who is going to choose either Blaize or myself. That is the competition, Saturna. Whom do you want more? Whom will you go home with? But don't look to me for advice. I'm playing to win, I'm not your friend in this."

"But you're not really concerned with romance or competition at all, Kael'thas! Nate is not even sure of what you expected him to do tonight... And you only seem intent on having me here no matter what, on the floor, on our feet—"

"Don't tempt me, Saturna, not in that dress. I _will_ do whatever you ask."

Saturna made a little whimpering noise. "Okay,"

Kael'thas looked at her sideways. "Okay… what?"

Saturna took his hand and led him discreetly away as the music played on. The guests were delighted by the many spectacles of the ball and focused on savoring that one last song. The few people who saw Saturna and Kael'thas sneak away were too carefree to make anything of it.

Saturna and Kael'thas rounded a corner and headed down a dark corridor that appeared long forgotten.

"I saw other couples sneak back here all night long…" she admitted. Saturna peered into the shadows, but didn't see anyone. "And I'll admit now, that I wanted to go as well, with you."

Kael'thas kissed her hard then, having heard what he'd been waiting all evening for. He pinned her against the wall. Saturna felt herself sliding up along the cold stone. Kael'thas had her by the waist, lifted her up and placed her over his hips. He couldn't help grinding against her, though they weren't undressed yet. It felt too good…

He tugged at the front of her dress. It barely gave and he wedged his fingers inside the black silk lingerie to feel her. He shook his head, disbelieving. "You're mad, Saturna Whiteblade, to wear something like this. Did you want me to ravage you? That is exactly what you've driven me to, what I am about to do to you." She gave a little moan when he caressed her nipple. She arched her back, pushed up to meet his fingertips when he couldn't free her from the dress. "A thousand times, Saturna. A thousand times a thousand… I am going to take you that many times." He trailed kisses along her breast when the ingenious close-tailored fit of the dress forced him to stop there. Undaunted, he slid his hands down the outside of the bodice, pushed the many layers of skirt away. He found her panties and tugged them aside. Saturna panted sweet excited breaths that Kael'thas kissed her and tasted, unbelieving that she looked and smelled like intoxicating red wine. Saturna enjoyed his touch, and lifted her leg, eager for it.

Finally, Kael'thas left off teasing her and moved to open his pants. "Oh, how I love you, Saturna. I'm so glad you finally came around and chose me. I promise you won't regret it." His fly was stuck, and he growled angrily at himself. "I can't wait to rub this defeat in Blaize's face!"

"What? No! We can't tell Blaize about this, Kael'thas."

He lay his sweaty brow against her bosom, exhaled with irritation. "Why… the… hell… not? Please explain this to me, Saturna!"

Saturna took short angry breaths. "I want to do this with you, but I'm still his wife. I am not going to leave him."

Kael'thas made fists of his hands against the wall, then slammed his open palms onto the cold rock on either side of her head. "You CANNOT be serious!" he wouldn't look at her. "We've been through this and through this… Blaize is using you, he's hurting you, he's lying to you. What more of a reason do you need? I love you, I'd do anything for you. Just this week, I fought off hordes of enemies, naked, I endured unfathomable pain and embarrassment before my master the Lord of Outland, I sacrificed an entire year's worth of negotiations with Ogres to spend time with you. I punched my own goddamn general, Saturna! Not because I was angry, but because I wanted you! I brought the whole of Outland here, gathered them in the entire Black Temple, Illidan himself came, just to see me make an ass of myself by playing court to you. People are laughing at me right now, did you know that? They are rolling over on the floor laughing at me because they see what you do to me, that I would willingly walk into a woman's fantasy world just to see you smile, just to win you… not that I mind doing this. It delights me to see you so happy, it was so satisfying planning all of this for your sake. I adored fretting about you, caring about you in front of others, for once! And so I ask you again, why?" he pleaded with her, "Why is all of this not enough? What more could you possibly want? You must know that we can't go on and on like this forever, chasing each other. Nor will I be some kind of… sugar daddy to you."

Saturna heated. "But it's perfectly fine for me to be your mistress? You hypocrite! I already told you that I want to have a family, a life…"

"You can't have it both ways!" he shouted at her.

"But you would take me, say that you love me, and offer me no future? What kind of man does that?"

"You never asked me what I was offering you." Kael'thas brooded.

"Fine then, I'm asking now. If we sleep together tonight, and then many times after that, spend time together, get close, really deeply love each other one day… what then? Would you ask for my hand in marriage? Would you be bold enough to do it, in the middle of a war… even if our chance of forging a home together was slim… would you make a commitment to me and no one else, bond with me as a husband… dare to take that risk with our lives and our hearts?"

He looked down. "You know that I can't."

"You're right, you can't. Because any child you create with me or any other woman for that matter would be an heir to Quel'thalas. Just by dating you, people would wonder anew what your intentions for the throne are, if you intend to come back. If we did in fact marry one day, and have that child, he or she would be the next Prince or Princess of Quel'thalas. Or, if we feared to marry, then you would doom your son or daughter to bastardy. If he or she ever wanted to rule, they would have to fight everyone and everything to claim what their father should have simply given to them in the first place, out of love, out of respect. All of these things involve you going home, to Silvermoon. But you refuse to leave Outland."

"But I've done so much for you—"

"What else could you do with me, except for use me and cast me aside?" She softened. "Kael'thas, you have failed to convince me that you love me, only that you lust after me."

Kael'thas didn't want to answer that question. He stared at her defiantly.

"I see you don't deny it." She sighed and wrapped her arms around her bare shoulders. He'd put her down a long time ago. "And beyond that, with the Soul Link and your temper… all of it. You're just too dangerous. I'm afraid to risk being with someone like that."

"Someone like me? Just say it Saturna. You think that I'm evil."

"Could I serve you if I thought you were evil!"

"It doesn't matter if you're obsessed with me! If you were in love with the idea of me, and not me for who I am… then of course you could overlook a few things. Because, at the end of the day, I'd still be the Prince of Quel'thalas."

"You're more than that to me."

He put hands on his hips and leaned in, sneered at her. "So then I can only conclude that, when I crowned you on that stage and you started screaming for joy, it was because you were so fanatically happy that I loved you and wanted to make you mine?" He straightened again. "No Saturna. You got that excited because of who I was born. But I understand that you can't help it. It's your little neurotic thing, and we all have something. Actually, I've grown fond of it… and truly, it's really very beautiful. Being a fangirl is tied to who you are as a Bloodknight, as a Lady of the Court… tied to your sense of self, your love for your people and your country. Sure it scares me… I've avoided fangirls all my life for a good reason… but you don't just adore me. You would fight for me. I've seen you kill for me. None of those other fangirl women would ever lift a finger to support their beliefs, to live their love for the royal house or the Blood Elf people. You do it every day, and I know for a fact that isn't easy."

He got down on one knee and took her hands. "Saturna… I love you. I don't know how to prove it. I just love you, I can't stop thinking about you, I can't imagine life without you. I can't believe that I've lived in this world without knowing you. How much easier it has become… to live in this world now that I do. I'm not a perfect man, or necessarily a good man… but I care so deeply for you. I want a chance to show you. Vows don't matter, nothing matters… I just want you."

Saturna started to cry.

Kael'thas shook his head. "No, not this time. I don't want your tears. I want an answer. Don't ask me to make you into a Queen because I can't. I won't delude you like that. Don't ask me to be your husband because…" he laughed dryly, "we just got started here, I'm not rushing into anything, not like that Blaize."

"I'm not asking you for any of those things…" Saturna said next, "I'm asking you to stop hurting yourself and other people."

Kael'thas snorted. "How am I hurting other people—" He got quiet when he realized what she was talking about. "You want me… to leave all this behind?"

There was a heavy silence.

"I know that you think you're doing a lot of good here," Saturna explained, "but all that I've seen so far, is you hurting yourself. And your addiction to Illidan, The Betrayer… it honestly terrifies me. You aren't safe. No matter what you may think, you aren't safe. None of the Sunfury are. If you don't want people like me to doubt you, for the word 'damned' to cross their minds, torture their sleep… then you would just… stop. You would stop being so reckless and go home."

Kael'thas' hands slid from hers. He was left on one knee, and she looking down on him. Not liking this, Saturna instantly got on her knees too. "I do love you." Saturna caressed his cheek. "That is why… I'm so afraid for you. I've wanted to tell you this about your work with Illidan long ago, but I was frightened that you would shun me. But even if you hate me because of it… When it comes to us, I don't want to take the wrong kinds of risks. Risking your life or mine… is absolutely unacceptable."

Kael'thas' throat was dry. "Saturna… I can't leave. Illidan needs me…"

"To hell with him! You say that Nate is using me, well here's a shocker, Illidan is using you! He's a powerful Demon Lord, he doesn't need you to watch him like a nursemaid. He just wants you to think that. And if he was your friend, he wouldn't encourage you to do such horrible things. Tell me, how did Illidan react when he found out you were abusing the arcane crystals? And don't tell me that he didn't know. I won't believe it."

Kael'thas smoothed his palms over his ears, perhaps expecting to run nervous fingers through his hair. But it was up tonight… he ended up winding his fingers together behind his head. "He didn't say anything at all."

"But I came and I said something. You thanked me for it, you felt better because of it. I would feel betrayed by Illidan, if I were you. That's like Pyorin, or Sunthraze, or Fennore refusing to heal me in battle because I can heal myself. Whether or not I can isn't the point. They would do it for me, whether it was a waste of their mana or time, or bad strategy, because they care about me and they want me to live. And if I was fool enough to hurt them by forcing them into that kind of situation over and over again they would surely tell me to my face."

Kael'thas frowned at her. "Like when those three surely told you that Blaize wasn't good for you?"

Saturna said this very clearly. "Maybe I'm taking a risk with Nate, but I care for him and he cares for me. More importantly, though, I don't wake up in the middle of the night fearing that Nate will lose his temper and incinerate me with a fireball, because Lord Illidan told him to do it."

"It's not that bad—"

"Does he never order you around? Does he never ask you to do things that you would rather not do, or find morally wrong?"

"But in the end, I decide for myself—"

"So then, Illidan encourages you to do evil. _In the end_ you decide to listen to him. Maybe you aren't quite his pawn, but you're not that far off."

Kael'thas really didn't like hearing this. He stood and turned his back on her. "Will you love me for who I am, whether or not I serve a Demon Lord?"

"Kael'thas, love isn't that precise."

"I disagree. Yes, or No?"

Saturna held onto the wall, got up carefully. "I already love you, Kael'thas. But I can't… I will stay on and protect you to the best of my ability as I've been doing, if that is your choice to keep serving Illidan. I am a Bloodknight, first and foremost, my Prince. But… as a woman, I can't give my heart to someone who would willingly put us in danger." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

Kael'thas folded an arm in front of his face and leaned on it, against the other wall. "Me too." He heard her shoes clack against the marble floor, but couldn't stand to watch Saturna leave.

Deep in the shadows, Lord Illidan watched Kael'thas stand alone, and pondered a new feeling that he clearly remembered: Rage.

"Prince Kael'thas!" Advisor Sorn rushed around the corner. "There you are… I've been looking all over. The Chief of the Murkblood wanted to tell you about a recent development that could benefit Tempest Keep. Come along, before he leaves…"

Advisor Sorn looked from his Prince to the Demon Lord just barely visible in the shadows. Illidan slowly shook his great horns, no. He did not wish to be revealed.

"Good Night, Sorn." Kael'thas rubbed a sleeve across his eyes and stode past.

When they were alone, Sorn asked Illidan, "Is my Prince well? He looked… terrible. I've never seen him so upset—"

"I need you to convey a message to Lady Vashj for me."

Sorn heaved the ledger under his arm open, rushed to find a blank page. Illidan didn't wait that long.

"Tell Lady Vashj… that I no longer favor Saturna Whiteblade. She is free to do with her… as she pleases. Tell her that she may indulge in whatever dark plans I know she's been holding at bay, for my sake."

Then Illidan turned back down the dark corridor and disappeared. Some moments later, one could hear the flapping of wings, and a horrible scraping against stone as he scaled the walls stories above.

"As you wish," Sorn replied, heartbroken. Despite his previous reservations regarding Saturna, it deeply saddened him to see it end this way. Afterall, hosting the ball was the happiest he'd seen Kael'thas in a very long time.


	17. Saturna has waay too much Shuru'kaal

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Seventeen: Saturna has way too much Shuru'kaal**

"Well, think of Shuru'kaal this way." Sunthraze smirked. "It's the naughtiest version of spin-the-bottle you'll ever play." he looked around at the faces of Naga and Blood Elves gathered in this particular pond in the Lagoon. The ladies had hiked up their skirts and the men rolled up their pants legs to sit around the cool water and wet their feet or wade in the enchanting blue liquid. The North wing of the Black Temple had been decorated by the Naga to delight the senses. Sunthraze reached down, plucked a floating lotus blossom and smoothly placed it above She'shara's ear. She indulged a possessive smile. "Well," Sunthraze went on, "that is if you don't mind being driven by a primal urge to have sex with complete strangers." The Bloodknight turned party host grinned and playfully swished the golden rum in its blood red bottle. She'shara frowned.

"Come now, it can't be _that _bad, Sunthraze." Pyorin, who was already a little tipsy, observed. "Alcohol can make you do strange things, but it can't really force people to have sex? Err… or can it?" He leaned back and put his arm around Sophie. Across the pool, Mavia the Maneater snarled.

Fennore looked from the jealous demoness to their red-headed host, also hopeful for the answer.

Sunthraze poured himself a glass, and passed the bottle around. He motioned for a male Naga wearing a red vest to bring forth a tray of champagne glasses for those guests who, by some miracle, hadn't started taking advantage of the rare pleasures in the Lagoon yet.

"Well… no, it can't. If you ignore the urges in the Shuru'kaal rum, you'll end up very, very frustrated, but it won't do you any real harm. That is, if you consider wasting an opportunity to have the best sex of your life harmless. However, rumor has it that pristine aged Shuru'kaal has the kind of power you're looking for, Pyorin. They say it makes you go mad, truly mad, if you ignore its call. It strips the inhibitions away, makes you seek the one you really want, like an animal in heat. Lady Vashj has a secret stash if anyone is interested." He sipped his rum while everyone chattered eagerly about this. "Only five thousand gold per shot."

Groans of disappointment at his timely advertising rose up from that side of the Lagoon. Shrouded in blue light from special torches, the elite section of Lady Vashj's victory party was being well tended by her golden-tongued host. The Naga Queen leaned over the edge of the rose curtained balcony and watched Sunthraze finish chatting up her honored guests, then take the red bottle of rum and go to the next cluster of people relaxing in a pool surrounded by reeds. As the host of the afterparty, Sunthraze would eventually visit every exotic or shrouded spot and then finally come to the strip of ruined tile floor surrounding the grand entrance to the North Wing. Fel Orcs and Demons seemed to prefer that driest part of the party. Three graceful harpists strategically placed around the Lagoon helped set the mood.

"That is one thing I don't mind about Kael'thass…" Lady Vashj smiled at Wave Commander Scyth'lerin over her shoulder. "When he sent me that charming Bloodknight Sunthraze, he practically gave me a lifetime supply of gold. Do you see how the ladiesss and gentlemen alike adore his wit? Sso priceless."

Her male consorts idled nearby, wearing matching gold collars. Both purred and smiled at Lady Vashj as she passed on her way to Scyth'lerin. "You know, a little birdie me told me sssomething very interesting this evening."

"Oh?" Scy'thlerin asked.

"Yesss… Saturna Whiteblade turned down Kael'thas, at the very ball he planned for her. Isn't that tragic?"

Scyth'lerin smiled. "Indeed."

"Just whom is going to turn Kael'thas against Illidan now? And you know, before she completely broke hisss heart, that woman said some very nasssty things about our Lord and Savior. That is how I know in the first place."

"Illidan wants you to set about destroying her." Scyth'lerin confirmed his Lady's thought aloud.

"Oh yesss… he would like that very much, for me to take the bait and make the whole Black Temple turn against Saturna, in the way that I hate her… then when he moves to strike her down, no one, not even Kael'thasss will be able to stand up against him." Lady Vashj went and stroked one of her mates along the jaw and then kissed him. He pushed his head against hers, like an affectionate cat. "There is only one problem with that though. I despise Kael'thasss even more than that Saturna… perhaps Illidan assumes that he can use me, by playing into my desire to take down that woman, especially after Kael'thas raised her up like a queen tonight in front of everyone, the unworthy whore!" She turned and kissed her other mate. A serpentine tongue slipped out of his mouth and he licked her cheek, which Lady Vashj enjoyed with a hissing noise that came from deep inside her throat. "But I will resissst… for now. While there are bigger fish. What do you think, Scyth'lerin? Should we allow the entire Black Temple to hate Saturna on short order, the way the Master desires? Or… shall I leave Illidan to despissse her alone and frustrated while his beloved Kael'thas loves Saturna, ignorant of what the Master thinks? A wedge to go between the Demon and his Master…"

"But how, my Queen? She's turned him down already, and we can't force her--"

"She comes." A guard entered the terrace then, and clapped a salute to Lady Vashj.

Her eyes danced when she turned to Scyth'lerin. "Have them bring me my best bottle of Shuru'kaal… I think it's time to toast the birthday girl."

At first only Lady Vashj and her two consorts, Wave Commander Scyth'lerin, and a few Naga guards made towards Saturna. But the Naga Queen drew attention like an avalanche. Other Naga saw her and left off their dark activities to slither to her side. The entire place hushed as the storm gathered and then headed straight for Saturna Whiteblade.

"Welcome to my lair, Mistress Whiteblade." Lady Vashj looked down her nose at the Blood Elf woman.

Saturna certainly heard the rumors, that Lady Vashj was jealous of her. "Lady Vashj," Saturna curtsied elegantly. "It was so kind of you… not to charge me for entry, and to arrange this after party in my honor, to compliment the ball. This is my first time in the Lagoon—"

"Where is your date, Kael'thas?"

Saturna fidgeted. She'd come by herself, and was starting to look embarrassed for it. "He… he isn't my date—"

"Oh, I'm sssorry." Lady Vashj laughed. Everyone laughed with her. "I meant your husband, General Blaize. Shouldn't he be here with you?"

"He was called away to an important meeting with Lord Illidan. All of his powerful allies are meant to be there. Prince Kael'thas is most likely there too… and I assumed you would be as well."

Lady Vashj ignored the veiled insult. "Such a pity. You have no idea how he fares, or if he even still cares about you. He could be enjoying himself with someone more beautiful and obedient… but since your falling out though, you can't know for sure can you? Such a careless and stupid woman, to let such a male treasure go to waste like that."

The crowd reacted loudly to this new gossip before Saturna could even think about what to say in defense of herself. "I… I still came because I wanted to be polite…" she stammered.

Lady Vashj beckoned, and Sunthraze came forward with a Naga server. He triumphantly held up a large red bottle of something for everyone to see. The people laughed and cheered.

"Oh, but perhapsss I've misspoken Mistress Saturna. I hope you'll forgive a hopelessly vain woman?" but Lady Vashj didn't sound ashamed of herself at all. "Please, as a token of friendship, let us toast to calmer waters between us. In your honor." Lady Vashj took a glass from the silver tray the server held and Sunthraze poured the golden rum for her.

"Happy Birthday, Commander." Sunthraze bowed to Saturna next and poured her glass. When this version of the gold magical rum settled, it blushed pink. "This would be the one hundred thousand gold brand of Shuru'kaal, Saturna. It's the best stuff in existence… that is unless you travel to Nazjatar, beneath the Maelstrom."

Saturna hesitated, but Lady Vashj looked at her intently. Sunthraze poured himself some of the rare drink next. Everyone else had golden versions of Shuru'kaal.

"A queen to a queen." Lady Vashj lifted her glass. "May you live your golden dream to live happily ever after with your prince." Lady Vashj drank, and Sunthraze touched his glass with Saturna's. Finally, heartened by the example of one of her Bloodknights, Saturna drank too. Lady Vashj narrowed her eyes at the woman as she watched her ruin herself. "But for tonight… know what it feelsss like to rut brainlesss in the mud." The Naga woman said it with such class, Saturna could have easily misunderstood. "Give her the bottle." Lady Vashj ordered Sunthraze. "…compliments of the house."

"Mmm… this is very good." Saturna downed her glass, and Sunthraze poured her another.

"Commander… may I suggest that you come to me later, if you have any difficulty?" he seemed truly concerned, but desire edged his tone.

Scyth'lerin whispered to Lady Vashj. "Many here know what that is… what if she beds the wrong man—"

"You fool! That is enough for her to hunger for every man here _and_ the one she truly wantsss. It's no matter, as long as she breaks her vow to Blaize, Kael'thas will come running." She snapped at a Naga server holding a tray of appetizers nearby. He came over and bowed. "Tell my man to take bets." She whispered to the servant. Lady Vashj pretended to take her time picking out some food while she observed the hungry men crowd around Saturna.

"My gold is on Sunthraze." Scyth'lerin said. "You see how he pursues even his own superior? I've never ssseen a man discard loyalty so fast."

"I am betting all the profit from this party on Kael'thas." Lady Vashj slithered away, toward her temple. The large golden pearl at the top of the tower looked eerie and foreboding in the celebration lights. "I have seen that man in heat. Too bad he knowsss about the Shuru'kaal already… incensing his desire for her would have been an exact ssscience. I leave the rest of the party to you… I suddenly feel the need to retire." Her consorts smiled knowingly.

"Unless… you would like to join us, Scyth'lerin?" she paused. "I am very pleased with you these days."

He clacked his jaws triumphantly. "Whatever my Queen wishes." They left for the temple together. When Lady Vashj wasn't looking, her general jealously nudged one of the golden-collared consorts out of the way.

Mavia the Maneater hissed at the sight of all the men in the Lagoon swarming around Saturna. She rubbed her thumb along butt of her whip and scanned the room.

"Having a good time, Mavia?" Fennore sidled up next to her and put an arm around the red succubus' shoulder.

Mavia gave him a look that instantly caused the Bloodknight, who was conscious of his reputation as an immortal man, to withdraw his arm. "I might like you…" she dragged a clawed fingertip down Fennore's cheek and drew blood. Fennore smiled back and grabbed her finger. He healed as she wounded him.

"You see Mavia? We could do this forever and ever…"

"… if, and only IF you tell me where Pyorin is."

Fennore shrank, and pointed to a dark corner of the Lagoon. White steam from a hot pool barely obscured two Blood Elves relaxing in the water.

Mavia mouthed a very tempting 'thank you' that made Fennore wander off after her a few steps before realizing that he wasn't wanted. A server came by with another tray of gold Shuru'kaal shots and he snatched five.

The Naga sauna wasn't exactly romantic, just private enough to get away with certain things while in a room full of other people.

"Sophie," Pyorin kissed his date's neck. Sophie leaned back, wrapped her arm around his strong shoulders. She began to pull him over her, under the water…

They didn't know that Mavia was there until she straddled naked Pyorin from behind. He startled at the feel of a woman's warm bare body against his back. "Go ahead." Mavia grinned at him. "Drown her."

"Mavia!"

Sophie's hand reached up out of the hot water. She grabbed at Pyorin, slapped his arm to let her up.

"Do you dare deny me?" Mavia purred.

"You're crazy! I'm with someone right now!"

"Then turn around and kill her… while you murder me…" she got the whip around his neck, threatened to strangle him if he didn't do as she asked. Pyorin turned to face her, Mavia sat ontop of him. Sophie struggled and splashed beneath both of them, trapped underwater.

Pyorin the Tank fought hard against the daze of the steam, the succubus, and the Shuru'kaal racing through him. He let Sophie up. But when she finally got the air she needed, she saw Mavia with her date and slapped him.

"Sophie, wait!" Pyorin called after, but Mavia tightened her hold around his neck. "What is wrong with you!" he choked.

Mavia licked the side of his face. "Would you like to find out? They call me a man-eater for a reason…"

From beyond the curtain of steam, Fennore saw Pyorin give in, Mavia scoot backward and lift one of Pyorin's legs over her shoulder…

Fennore couldn't watch and rushed away. It was easy in his state to accept every drink the servers offered.

Meanwhile, Saturna tossed back long gulps from her bottle of Shuru'kaal. The men nearby her kissed her hands and her neck, whispered in her ears, unsuccessfully pulled at her dress. They also kept trying to take the bottle away from her. But the moment anyone touched her Shuru'kaal, she violently defended the bottle. At one point she even turned it white.

Sunthraze stood off to the side, feeling less and less protective by the moment. He kept watching, drinking, and thinking… Finally, he walked over.

"Do you want me to save you from this, Commander?"

Saturna looked up at him. The heat she was feeling was obvious on her face. She gave a little delightful moan when Sunthraze yanked her up by the hand she offered and wrapped an arm around her waist.

The men lingering around complained.

"You don't like it, I'll rescind your payment and have you kicked out." He snapped his fingers, and a slew of armored and sober Naga guards slithered over, holding tritons. His competition was forced to disperse.

"Commander, have I ever told you… just how sexy you are?" he pressed his cheek against hers, began to dance with Saturna to a tune in his head. "I adore you."

Saturna held her bottle of rum in one limp arm. Her forefinger was stuffed into the neck to keep from spilling a drop because, through her haze, the magical Shuru'kaal told her she wasn't stable on her feet. It refused to be wasted in any measurement.

"What do you think of me?" Sunthraze asked.

Saturna nestled into his shoulder. "Oh Sunthraze… you feel sooo good."

Sunthraze smiled and began to whisper into her ear.

Mavia the Maneater, again dressed, strutted back into the thick of the party. A jealous Fennore was waiting for her.

"What's he got that I don't have?"

Mavia took his drink from him and downed it like a man. "I have my own demons to subjugate at home." She began to move on.

"I'm not a Demon though, you've got to give me some slack here!"

Mavia started to smile. "You're too submissive, nor can you beat me at cards." She licked her lips and waited. Fennore didn't know what to do. "And now you've failed again."

"I can change!" he ran after her.

Now Pyorin, also newly dressed and trying not to smile too much, crossed through the center of the Lagoon looking for Sophie. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spied Sunthraze groping their wasted Commander in front of everyone.

"The hell are you doing?!" he pulled them apart.

Sunthraze swatted at Pyorin. "Go be someone else's daddy, I'm busy."

Pyorin put a hand in the middle of Sunthraze's chest. Both men put down their drinks and made fists, began to square off… Saturna fell over.

"Commander!" they both went to help her.

"No… it's okay. Two more men fighting over me? That would be a record… I wanna see it." Then she abruptly threw her arms around Pyorin and kissed him on the mouth. "You're the hottest one… if I wasn't your superior officer…"

Sunthraze flew into hysterics. "And you were the main one, the _main_ one telling us to stay away from her!"

Pyorin looked up at the ceiling. "I've got bad luck, by the Sun!" he griped, then almost fell when Saturna slipped again. He held her tight.

"Where's Fennore? It's always been the three of us." Saturna asked.

"Four."

"Tha's what I said! You know what would be really fun you guys… if the three of you, and I…" she giggled.

Pyorin raised both his dark eyebrows. "Is she suggesting what I think—"

"There's a room Lady Vashj lets me use. Come on, let's grab Fennore and go…"

"Sunthraze! What's gotten into you? I've had about as much Shuru'kaal as you… but I know for a fact that's gross." Pyorin snapped his mouth shut when he remembered how Sunthraze also had a sip from the hundred thousand gold version of the stuff, at Lady Vashj's toast.

"Honestly, the Naga are superior when it comes to this sort of thing." Sunthraze swayed on his feet. "The women share mates all the time, as long as everyone gets his turn…"

Sophie came up then with a very hungry look in her eye.

"Let her go. Now." She seized Pyorin's hand. Saturna slipped. "I am so very tired of waiting to enjoy my ride home." Pyorin wasn't one to argue in this situation either. He left Saturna with an eager Sunthraze and let Sophie pull him back towards the sauna.

Finally, Fennore caught up with Mavia. She was lounging in another pool, a chilly one this time, making eyes at a Dreadlord who was busy with the abandoned She'shara.

"Remember what we did before?" Fennore tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ugh, not you again."

"What if… I could heal myself all over, with my powers. Then you could torture me for as long as you want." He squatted at the edge of the water. Mavia was so drunk she'd settled in with her armor still on. She tickled Fennore under the cheek. "Alright," the tall demoness got out of the pool. Fennore gasped as he watched the water slide off of her. Then Mavia shook out her hair, then her shoulders, her hips, lashed out her wisp of a tail, and ended with gently pawing a tiny hoof in the air to get the last drops off. He'd seen animals do it many times, when they got wet. But when it was a lovely succubus…

"Let's do it now."

Fennore nodded eagerly. He closed his eyes, concentrated on casting the Divine Intervention spell inside his body… as a man made of translucent gold Light, he stepped out of his corpse on the floor between them.

"I love you Mavia… you can do whatever you want to me."

Mavia rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling at him. She uncoiled her whip, strutted about him… then lashed.

Her leather weapon went right through Fennore. She tried it again, with the same results. Then she walked up to the transformed Bloodknight. She tried to bite his neck, but cringed when she crunched down on her own teeth. Finally, she tried kissing him.

"Oh, this is no fun at all. You tricked me. I hate being teased…" miffed, Mavia walked away.

"Noooo!" Fennore tried to transport over to her, the way he did when he was able to blink across the room and heal Kael'thas in a flash of light. Nothing happened. He couldn't even walk after her. What was different between this time and that one? With a pang, Fennore realized the limitations of his 'healing form.' It really couldn't be used for anything else. "Umm… would someone here, kindly mind resurrecting me in a little while? Anyone at all?"

Outside the after party, Saturna let Sunthraze drag her along. With half the rum gone, she seemed to have transitioned into another level of Shuru'kaal drunkenness. Before she had been focused on only drinking the rum and merely reacting to its effects. Now the rum was telling her what to do.

"Get them away from me, Sunthraze. I need to find… woah." She gripped the wall with one hand, and held the red bottle of Shuru'kaal in the other. The way she was, it would have been best to put both hands on the wall, but Saturna guarded the half-empty bottle with explosive wrath.

"I'm taking her home." Sunthraze announced to the swarm of Naga, Blood Elf, Fel Orc, and Demon men—and there were a few women too--that followed them to the exit. He eyed guards Lithwin and Rind'wrin. "Please remind them that their entrance fee is forfeit once they step foot out of the party. Come along, Saturna."

They stumbled along a ways. "What the hell is in this stuff?" Saturna complained loudly. "It's the best rum I've ever had but… oh Sunthraze, don't tell anyone I said this but, by the Sun, I've never been so horny in my life!" He smiled to hear her say it. Perhaps she meant to lower her voice over that part, but Saturna didn't notice.

"I know, I know…" Sunthraze rubbed her shoulders as they went. "And how ungentlemanly of those other men… they were trying to take advantage of you, I saw it."

Saturna groaned. "Oh, Sunthraze, you have to help me. I don't know what's come over me… can you get me to my room?" but she started walking to the South, where everyone knew Kael'thas now stayed in the Golden Shrine.

"Oh, you don't want to go that way." He steered her around, toward the West.

"No? Well, why not? I was thinking… maybe if Kael'thas is still awake… did you know that I almost, a bunch of times we almost—"

"You're engaged to General Blaize, remember? You're being bad."

Saturna's knees buckled. She started crying. "Ohhhhh… this is all my fault. Why did I say yes to Nate? Now I _have_ to sleep with him."

Sunthraze asked quietly, "But I thought you loved Blaize?"

"I do but… no, you're right. I need to find him. What's wrong with me?"

"Oh, but darlin' he's in a meeting. It's bound to take all night. Your precious Kael'thas is probably there too. Something about impending ten-man raids on the Black Temple… I'll tuck you in."

"But Sunthraze, I know that you like me. That wouldn't be sound…"

"Let's play a little game, shall we? To make it fair…" Sunthraze took her by the shoulders when they came to a crossroads in the Main Causeway. At this point they could go in any direction. He pushed her around in circles. "Round and round Saturna goes… in which direction her panties drop, nobody knows…" Saturna placed a hand over her forehead, lost her balance. Sunthraze abruptly stopped her facing West, and of course, himself.

"Oh, lucky me." he grinned.

"Huh? No, I think you fixed it."

"Would I lie to you, my Commander? And that was more than fair, a mere game of chance. Just ask Pyorin." He pulled her along.

Then, two things happened. General Blaize appeared out of nowhere and gave Sunthraze a 'what the hell are your hands doing on my wife,' look, and Fennore slipped out from under Blaize's strong arm and gave a 'Dude, I think I drank way too much look.'

Sunthraze grimaced.

"Funny finding you here, wandering the hallway alone with my wife. But as it turns out, your timing couldn't be better. Here," he gave Fennore to him and got Saturna in exchange. "Now, I think that's a better fit. Goodnight?"

Sunthraze scowled. Fennore's knees buckled then and he almost dragged the red-headed Bloodknight down with him. "What happened to your meeting?" Sunthraze observed groggily.

"I have a better question." Blaize lifted his chin. "What kind of friend are you to let Saturna get this way, hmm? I think that I know what kind. And Fennore, too… perhaps you allowed Saturna to get so drunk while you ignored the state of your other friend. You see the result? Now no one is enjoying the party. It's a good thing I stole a way to check on her. Come now, Saturna."

Sunthraze stood in the Main Causeway a long time with Fennore while he watched General Blaize walk off with the prize. "Aw, Fennore! Why can't you hold your liquor!" The both of them stumbled along together. "You have no idea what you just ruined for me."

Fennore hiccupped. "I was watching Pyorin, that woman-stealing bastard! I tried, but I never had Naga rum before. I can't drink as much as he does."

Sunthraze rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Pyorin ruins your plans, and now you ruin mine." He grunted. "Well that's cockblocking at its finest."

Or, was it?

Advisor Sorn stopped General Blaize just as he got Saturna's door open. "General, there's an emergency. Prince Kael'thas had to leave Illidan's meeting, and you're needed back immediately."

"What? What could possibly be more important than my Lady's birthday… or does he have the same motivations I have, and that in itself, is the problem?"

Saturna started giggling. "You're so cute when you're mad, Nate. Mmmm." She started kissing him.

"I'm sorry, my General, but one of _the alarms_ went off at Tempest Keep. As you well know, the Prince is the only one who can see to it."

General Blaize raised his eyebrows. "Oh. I see… that _is_ rather important. I'm the only one left who can represent the interests of the Sunfury—"

"The Prince says that he is sorry to have ruined your evening, but you must go back or else we could be left out. Wave Commander Scy'thlerin also unexpectedly made his own excuse of absence. You are the only one capable of aiding Illidan now. In fact, the Prince _insists_ that you take advantage of having his ear to yourself."

General Blaize took one last look at Saturna. "I'm sorry, my love. Will you manage alright on your own?"

Saturna pouted and lay her head on his shoulder. "You don't understand, Nate… I need you. I really do _need_ you tonight." Her hand smoothed down his backside, caused Blaize to smile.

"Oh, Saturna…" he kissed her gently.

"Your answer, General Blaize? Lord Illidan hates to be kept waiting, and you know how he further hates to be let down."

"I have to go do this, for Kael'thas. You understand." Saturna let go of him and slumped against her door.

"Fine." She crossed her arms.

"I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can. You can even wait up for me."

He helped her inside the room, which was dangerous, because Saturna attempted to jump on him as soon as they were alone. He indulged her for a moment but then apologized profusely and left.

For a very long time, the hallway outside Saturna's door was empty. Then, her door creaked open. She stumbled out in her elegant red dress, and fell on the floor.

Slowly, she picked herself back up, the bottle of Sharu'kaal now three fourths empty. Anyone who saw her would know instantly that she needed some kind of help. But as fate would have it, no one did. The woman migrated south.

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider sat alone in the Golden Shrine staring at the wall. He chewed his thumbnail as he thought about the night's events, an open book of magic untouched on the desk in front of him.

Maybe he couldn't steal away on his phoenix any longer, because of Illidan, but he still knew how to get away and forge privacy when he needed it most. Now, he leaned forward and covered his face with his hands. It was an effort to think of anything but Saturna.

There was a knock on the door.

Kael'thas sat up instantly. He drummed his fingers on the desk while he tried to decide what to do. His guards were gone, enjoying the night's festivities. It wasn't exactly irresponsible; he'd told everyone that he was going to portal back to Tempest Keep, because of the emergency.

But what if this was a real emergency? Kael'thas eyed the door warily, and chewed his nail again.

Another knock. "Kael'thas? Are you there?"

Kael'thas stood up so fast, he got dizzy.

"Saturna? How did you know I was here?" He opened the door for her and she fell into his arms.

"There's a voice in my head," she answered vaguely.

He held her for a moment. "I see. You've been drinking… Saturna, let's not do this. You should go home to General Blaize."

"You don't mean that." She snuggled into him.

"Maybe this time… I do." His voice chilled.

Saturna hugged the rum bottle to herself. "You've been crying." She soberly observed about him.

Kael'thas turned away from her. "Fine, stay, what do I care? I haven't much furniture after…" he hesitated, "the fire. But I'm going to have them send more over from Tempest Keep. For now you can have my chair." Saturna stumbled into the seat.

For the first time, Kael'thas noticed what kind of bottle she was carrying. Saturna set it on the desk imbetween them.

"Drink with me." she smiled.

He blanched. "You're offering me Shuru'kaal? Do you know what that even means? You'd better not be teasing me, Saturna."

Saturna took another long drink. A strange glint came to her eye. The bottle was nearly empty, and the rum clearly influencing her somehow.

"I'm not teasing you. You're the one teasing me. I know that you want me but you're holding back. Why, Kael'thas Sunstrider? It's certainly not the drink you fear. You've had it before."

"How did you know that?"

Saturna grinned at him, showing all her teeth. "I am Shuru'kaal. I know all my victims intimately."

Kael'thas stood up straight. "What have you done to Saturna?"

"The same thing I did to you… only you didn't go to Lady Vashj when she tricked you into drinking me. You found a stranger that you were attracted to, a year ago. You slept with Lianna instead, saved yourself from going mad with need, from going blind before Lady Vashj could find you. But this woman does not want a stranger, Kael'thas Sunstrider. She wants you."

"Saturna… Shuru'kaal, whomever you are, we talked this thing to death already. You don't want me. I can't take any more rejection—"

"My Prince..." Saturna climbed over the desk sat in front of him. She slowly drew the dark red skirt up over her knees, so far up he could see the black garter Saturna wore around her thigh. Kael'thas took a step closer, then another. Saturna reached around, and smoothed fingertips up the sides of his black pants. Then, without warning, she grabbed his waistband and yanked his hips between her thighs. She smiled at how he felt against her now. He was excited, he couldn't help it. "Kael'thas..." her eyes wandered, flashed red like a demon, "Fuck me."

Kael'thas forced himself to lay his hands flat on the cool desk on either side of her. He breathed hard, then squeezed his eyes shut.

"When I first came to Outland… I had to choose between leading myself and letting others lead me. Lady Vashj nearly succeeded at using the Shuru'kaal to control me then, to make me into some kind of pet." He growled and grabbed Saturna by the throat. She winced in pain. "I am not going to let her manipulate me now."

Kael'thas whispered something in demonic, then removed his hand. Saturna was frozen, the Demon possessing her banished.

Kael'thas slipped her hands out of his pants and took cautious steps away from the desk.

"You are under my control now, whatever you are. Now speak. Who are you and why are you helping Lady Vashj?"

Saturna smiled so fiendishly at the front of Kael'thas' pants it was obvious that she was no longer herself. The real Saturna exhibited a lot more self control—okay, so most of the time—these last few days. "I am Shuru'kaal, or whatever is left of her. I am not Lady Vashj's pet, but Queen Azshara's. She has punished me, but now I am free to help myself. That is how the drink works."

Kael'thas shook his head. "No… when I was drunk with Shuru'kaal that time Lady Vashj attempted to seduce me," he couldn't help frowning at the memory, "My bookworm brain spent the entire time enthralled with the drink and trying to figure out the properties. There is something very seductive but also evil about the rum… it feels good to drink it, but the more you have, the more it has of you… though it's not the same as mind control. I'm sure that it's just rum in the end. Lady Vashj must have enhanced this batch somehow. What _is_ she up to?" He scratched his chin.

"I am Shuru'kaal. Do you think I know not who I am? I am in full control of this woman's body now. Her thoughts are mine. I know her desires, I know everything about her now. I will be with her until the drink leaves her system. You must help me…"

"I don't sleep with Demons."

Saturna smiled. "But you have before. I've tasted your lips, I know some of your mind, your fantasies. In fact, your first time was…"

"Enough of that!" Kael'thas turned red he was so embarrassed. "Do you know what a Bloodknight is? They are highly trained Demon slayers. If I have to, I can have three in here on short order and all of them will exorcise you from the woman I love. I need little more convincing to do it as it is. Now enough of this useless banter! If you think I'm so far off in my theories, I invite you to explain yourself. I want to get to the bottom of this, once and for all!"

Saturna pressed her palms onto the open space of desk between her legs. She sat up like a hungry animal.

"Even if you tried to exorcise me, it wouldn't work. I am more rum than Demon now. That part you are right about, but there is so much more to it than that. Lesser versions of me are very watered down, sold to the masses to make a profit. But all Shuru'kaal is made from me, Kael'thas Sunstrider. I am a powerful succubus who was sent by the Burning Legion to investigate Queen Azshara, deep below the Maelstrom, in the blackest heart of the Great Sea on Azeroth. But when she found me out, she tortured me in the worst way. The Queen Azshara lets all of her men…" Saturna whimpered a little, "play with me. I am a succubus so I like it, but I also _hate_ it. They won't sate me. Do you know what kind of power a person must have, especially a woman, to order men to masturbate me like that and never finish? A succubus to be seduced forever, what terrible irony. For thousands of years have I dwelt there, in half-ecstasy, half-dread… and somehow through all the pain, I have come to admire her strength, to love her. Hail to thee, Queen Azshara… It was a vile mind indeed that first decided to taste… my sweat, my tears… you know what else." She smiled at him.

Kael'thas hated how he was both revolted and turned on by the explanation. Such a feeling should not have been possible. "And so, they began to…" he waved a hand to gloss over the word, "bottle it? Just like that?"

"Along with other things, yes. Naga are hedonists, worst than elves. And they were once elves…" Saturna who was not Saturna gave a delighted giggle. "They saw how my powerful desire affected mortal creatures and make good gold off of it. Freed into the dark Nazjatar magics within the rum, I can finally arouse other people's desires to get what I want. The more they drink of me, the greater the concentration of my powers within their bodies. The stronger their desire, the greater my chance to be sated at last. This woman has imbibed a substantial amount of my power _and_ desire." Saturna began to purr at Kael'thas. The warlock now recognized the succubine lilt to her voice. "You are exactly what this woman wants… more than her life, more than reason. Kael'thas Sunstrider, come to me…" The Demon raged against the banishment spell. Saturna started to shake.

Kael'thas lifted his hand to refresh the spell, then stopped. "Does she really? I have to know… how much does Saturna want me, Shuru'kaal? Does she really love me? Did she change her mind since the ball?"

Saturna snapped at him, and Kael'thas hopped backward, a disturbed smile on his face. "Just thinking of you right now, with her dirty thoughts… we could make our own Shuru'kaal. I've never before experienced a woman so impassioned. Yes, she most certainly loves you."

"Even though I serve Illidan? Does she think I'm evil?"

"She knows that you are evil. She loves you anyway."

Kael'thas folded his fingers behind his neck. "I am _not_ evil."

"I am a member of the Burning Legion, however in this form, displaced across the nether, deep beneath the Maelstrom in Nazjatar. I know evil, Kael'thas Sunstrider. It seems that you are the one who is confused about yourself."

Kael'thas changed the subject. "If she wants me so badly, why did she reject me?"

"Because deep down, you make her fear for her life. What a raw passion—"

"Why? I would never hurt you, Saturna!"

"Why would she believe that? _I_ don't. Please, come closer…"

Kael'thas the warlock decided at last that he had nothing to fear. He sat beside the possessed Saturna on his desk. Still frozen, she glared at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Now that I am here, what more do you have to say Shuru'kaal?"

Kael'thas kept wanting to glance over his shoulder, but he knew that if he took one more look at Saturna's open legs he was going to end up right between them. He settled on the front of her dress instead. Her slow tortured breathing was not much better.

"You will be a fool if you do not take advantage of her tonight. The opportunity may never arise again."

"Don't I know it." Kael'thas started swearing under his breath. He sighed. "But I can't. If her experience is anything like mine was, she won't remember a thing. She'll think I forced myself on her… I couldn't do that to Saturna."

Saturna lowered her eyes, searching. "She loves Nathaniel Blaize too… and you are jealous of him! If it is not you tonight, it _will_ be him. I will see to it."

"Fine." Kael'thas angrily crossed his arms. "I can't have her either way. Apparently, I'm an evil man, undeserving of love, or even a chance to try for romance. 'Damned'… that's the word Saturna used."

The longer he just sat next to her and did nothing, the more desperate Saturna began to sound. "She… she slept with him in the first place, because she could not sleep with you. She married him because she could not marry you."

Kael'thas flinched. "But that doesn't make any sense… Besides being illogical, it's too good to be true."

"I speak from her mind, I am inside of her now as a succubus, seducing her to make her do what I want… At the ball, do you think she asked about marrying you because she is concerned for the future? No, she is obsessed with the now. She wants to be your queen now, she wants to have your babies, right now. However, she realizes how pathetic this sounds. That is why she pursued half of that destiny with another man. It hurt her more to wait around and have none of it without you."

Kael'thas didn't smile at the news. "That's… creepy." He tensed instead and Saturna began to take panicked breaths.

"Ugh! This isn't working… what do you want? How must I seduce you? I would do anything to end this torture, Kael'thas Sunstrider! I just want you between my legs, at last…"

Kael'thas exhaled, frustrated with himself and the one-track mind of the demon magic in the rum. "Thank you for speaking with me, Shuru'kaal. But I need to have Saturna back. I am going to suppress you momentarily—if I can even manage to override Queen Azshara's powers—so that she can have a choice. If I am going to go as far as I want to, right now," he took a deep, patient breath, "There is something only she can answer for me first."

"Will you help me then? It is painful to go on and on like this, divided against myself in so many bottles but never satisfied."

"I assure you that," Kael'thas shook his head, "Someone will take care of Saturna tonight. I won't let her go mad… or rather, allow you to succumb to madness while in her body."

Through Saturna, Shuru'kaal flashed him a desperate smile of relief. "Oh thank you, Kael'thas Sunstrider. You are a strong warlock indeed. I wish that my own master had been so kind…" the fiendish light faded from Saturna's eyes as Kael'thas conjured. "Good bye, my handsome prince..."

A few moments after the spell was cast, the familiar look again returned to Saturna's eyes.

Kael'thas got up from the desk and faced her once more. "Now, let's try this again," he said under his breath. He watched Saturna for a long time. She was trembling. Kael'thas stood between her legs, the way they'd been before. He pushed his hands up her thighs, felt the black lace garter. Saturna recoiled in cold shock. Kael'thas leaned over and tried to kiss her, but she turned away from him at the last moment. His heart sank when he saw her true fear.

Then the effects of his spell wore off and Saturna slumped forward. "Ugh… where's my Shuru'kaal? I think I need some more. Is it dark in here or what?"

"Yes… that's what I thought." Kael'thas laughed bitterly to himself. "You coming into my room, wanting to have a life with me… all of it, they were just Shuru'kaal's lies. You'd think I'd know better than to trust a succubus by now." Then, after he helped her off the desk, Kael'thas muttered under his breath, "Well I'm glad… that I never asked you. After tonight, I don't think I could bear to hear you reject me a second time."

"Kael'thas? Is that you? Mmmm… why don't you kiss me—" When Saturna couldn't walk on her own, Kael'thas hefted her up over his shoulder and carried her back down the Main Causeway to the Sunfury barracks. She asked where they were going, begged him for sex countless more times… but Kael'thas was now painfully aware that she didn't mean one word of it. It felt like the longest walk of his life.

Back in their room, Sunthraze watched Fennore snore. He was grumbling to himself when Kael'thas knocked.

"I… can't watch her." Kael'thas said and put the woman down. "Sunthraze, will you please take care of Saturna? I've already sent word for Blaize to come to her. The rest of her plight should be obvious enough to him." Kael'thas observed regretfully about the woman he himself wanted. "Wait… do you know anything about Shuru'kaal?"

Sunthraze the Sly smiled kindly. "Why, no."

Kael'thas looked relieved. "Good. Just… mind her, please. I'm… going to bed." He sighed. "If I can at this point." Saturna did not want to let go of him, but Kael'thas at last took hold of her, picked her up and forced her to sit down on the bottom bunk bed.

"Oh, I see you have a regular hospice going…. That Fennore doesn't look good at all." Kael'thas observed next, smiling a little. Fennore had been laid on his stomach, an old book bin by the side of the bed.

Sunthraze shrugged. "I'm maternal deep down, I guess. And, due to some sophisticated cockblocking, Pyorin left me holding the bag, so to speak." He laughed gently. "Have a good night, My Prince." He saluted.

Kael'thas watched Saturna the whole time that he closed the door.

Sunthraze waited until he heard Kael'thas' footfalls fade in the hallway. "You know what you need, Saturna? To get into your pajamas, and for someone to tuck you in." he grinned. "Yes, I would like that very much. Would you like that too?" he walked her to the door.

"I want Kael'thas. Where did he go?"

Sunthraze dragged her to the door by an arm, checked up and down the hallway, and then sneaked into Saturna's bedroom.

"Why is it so dark in here?" Saturna observed, groggy.

It wasn't really. Sunthraze had lit a lantern. "Oh, you're close to the brink, I see. Going blind, are you? Here, let me help you with that," he wrenched the Naga rum out of her hand, and set it on the table. Saturna wasn't strong enough to hold onto it now.

"You're beautiful, did you know that?" he lay his hands on either side of her face and kissed her.

"Kael'thas doesn't think so."

"Oh, who cares what he thinks! I'm here now, and I am going to take care of you." He pleaded with her. Sunthraze slid his hands down her back and pressed into her. "I've been wanting to do this since the first moment I saw you, back in Eversong Woods. I'm not much older than you, you know, but here you had me thinking that you were at least two years my superior, as well as being my superior officer. I let that fantasy stay with me for so long: Saturna Whiteblade, the accomplished older woman, forever out of my reach… but now, I'm in charge, aren't I? I get to make the orders. And you'll like them, I promise." He let go of her. "Lie down."

Saturna was warm to the touch. She whimpered helplessly, and then went to the bed.

"Good girl. Now… take off that lovely dress." He began to unfasten his pants.

Saturna was so frustrated, she enjoyed the feel of her own hands on her skin, as she tried to take the dress off. "Sunthraze… thank you for doing this for me. No one else understands."

"Oh, I do, Saturna. I always have."

She smiled at him. "You know… I always thought you were cute." Sunthraze really grinned then, and leaned over her. He tried to pull the dress off when she wasn't strong enough. It didn't budge. "I want you… I'm attracted to all three of you, but it was never right to cross that line."

"It'll be our little secret, I promise. Where in the world is that seam? How did you even get into this dress to begin with?"

"Maybe it will even be nice… if I'm with you… If Kael'thas doesn't even want me, Sunthraze. I just don't want to be alone tonight." She stood with him because it was taking too long for the dress to come off. They kissed and caressed each other.

There was an angry knocking on the door.

"What!" Sunthraze flared. He realized his mistake too late.

Kael'thas opened the door and stood there, his hand on the knob. "What are you, a vulture? I'm glad that I came back, to… check on her."

Sunthraze was suddenly embarrassed to have Saturna groping him. He laughed nervously. "My Prince, I was just—"

"Get out!"

Sunthraze left a desperate Saturna, who couldn't even stand up on her own, whimpering on the floor. Kael'thas waited for him to cross the threshold. "I should have known better than to leave her with you…" Kael'thas whispered harshly to the frazzled Sunthraze as he left room. "Oh, and Sunthraze?"

The other man shuddered. "Yes, My Prince?"

"Next time, lock the door." Kael'thas smirked. "Amateur." Then Kael'thas slammed the door in Sunthraze's face. And, it locked immediately after.

"Oooh! I hate him! I _hate_ him!" Sunthraze stomped off.

Back inside the room, Kael'thas joined Saturna on the floor.

"I can't see." She told him in a small voice.

"Yes I know… that finally occurred to me… could that be why you looked at me terrified like that, when we were in my room? Because you'd gone blind? Not because… I horrify you?"

Saturna began to cry. "You were looking at me? I… I didn't know what was going on, I felt the hands of a stranger."

Kael'thas touched her again. "These are my hands now, just as it was before." He leaned over her, so she could feel his breath over her cheek. "This is your last chance, Saturna. I too was on the brink with Shuru'kaal, I know. Now tell me once and for all, do you want me or Blaize?"

Saturna felt for him through the dark in her mind. Kael'thas kissed her hands. "You." she cried. "It's always been you, Kael'thas."

Kael'thas wrapped his arms around her and almost cheered. "You're _my_ woman now, Saturna Whiteblade. I will take care of all your urges… and if you forget and want to curse me for this in the morning, then you can do that too, I'll just love you all over again. I'll love away every tear, every regret, I promise. We'll figure out the rest later."

It seemed so desperate and foolish. In how many ways had they tried to reason their love… in the end there was no way to justify it. When they came together, Saturna realized, there was no justice… Lianna's warning that always stayed with Saturna, made her hesitate each and every time before with Kael'thas, came back in that moment:

_If you wish to remain faithful and serve him, you will have to darken your heart as well... But that is only the beginning of the end… The end of Saturna Whiteblade and her precious morals!_

"Oh, fuck _you_, Lianna." Saturna answered the voice in her head groggily.

Kael'thas stopped what he was doing, and gave her a strange look. "I'm… not going to ask what you mean by that. It's probably the Shuru'kaal talking anyway… I hope. Here, let's not do this on the floor." He helped her onto the bed.

Once they were comfortable, it wasn't hard to get started up again. Saturna could feel Kael'thas' smile against her face, like she did on the phoenix. Back then, she was also helpless, but he carried them safely through the storm. Through her haze she realized that it could be the same this time, she could love the monster…

A face full of mattress stifled Saturna's noble train of thought. Kael'thas was forcing her to bend over the bed. Next, he put the heel of his boot on the backboard, and thrust his hips onto her backside. Saturna's yelp of surprise was muffled in the white sheets.

Once he had leverage, Kael'thas grabbed the back of Saturna's dress with both hands angrily ripped it off.

There was a pause and rustle of clothing as he undressed himself, but as soon as that was over, she could feel his warm hands on her again. He tore off her underwear. Saturna flinched when she felt a little flame at the edge of his fingers. He was burning through the fabric to make it go faster. At last, Kael'thas turned her to face him. She felt the hot skin of his thighs over hers and started wondering why he clearly chose to leave her black boustieau on. She wished she could see his face. The bed rocked on either side of her as he lifted his hips. She felt his heavy phallus slide along, searching… then he found what he wanted and thrust inside of her. Saturna gave a small, delighted cry. He felt excellent. "Now you don't have to want me anymore, Saturna." Kael'thas gasped and kissed her. "I'm here."

"Saturna!" General Blaize shouted from the other side of the door. He banged on it loudly. "I got Kael'thas' message. Are you alright? Sunthraze tells me you're in your room. Can you hear me? Saturna, are you asleep?"

Kael'thas grabbed a fistful of sheets just by Saturna's ear. Her mouth opened as she felt him lean up on one of his arms and push in further, even as her husband called out to them. There was something so wrong about his cavalier seizing of her. There was only a door between the two men, but Saturna sensed from his confidence that Kael'thas would have done this right in front of his General's face if he could. Kael'thas was so aggressive now that maybe he even wanted to… it was so selfish, and cruel. It occurred to Saturna that she was always so fascinated by Kael'thas' shameless arrogance because it turned her on. She started laughing at that surprise.

"Saturna!"

"Hehe. I can hear him, calling me…" her head sluggishly lolled to the side, and she hiccuped from the Shuru'kaal.

"I can hear him too." Kael'thas laughed as well. Saturna felt the reverberation of his joy deep between her thighs. Saturna dug her heels into the mattress and moaned softly.

"We _are_ going to break his heart, you know…" she quickly admonished herself.

Kael'thas sighed happily against her neck. "Like I give a flying fuck."

Saturna covered her mouth with a hand. "You're so _mean_, Kael'thas!" She kissed his shoulder gratefully though.

"Saturna! I can hear you in there!" the knocking got even louder.

Kael'thas responded by pounding her harder into the old creaky mattress. There was no end to his torturing of the man! Saturna didn't know why, but she loved Kael'thas even more for it. It delighted her. Saturna burst into loud laughter. She laughed at her husband, at his bad hair dye, and at his incompetence, for finally losing. Then she got angry at Nathaniel Blaize, for everything. She helped Kael'thas to make as much noise as possible.

Saturna called her Prince by his name, and then by all of his titles. As his biggest fangirl, she even knew his rarely used, long forgotten middle name. Kael'thas loved this. In turn, Kael'thas called Saturna his queen over and over again. He swore he would take her back to Silvermoon, have her again right on the throne the way he knew she wanted it. Saturna returned a resounding, 'yes, yes, yes!'

General Blaize was furious. He shouted so loud that a crowd of Sunfury soldiers, still in their dress clothes began to gather. Even more embarrassed at that, Blaize resorted to calling them adulterers at the top of his lungs. Kael'thas raised his voice, mocking him, and Saturna did too. They seemed very pleased with the title.

The Sunfury looked on, amazed.

After that started, Blaize's angry knocking died down. One could hear his panicked pacing, then the door creaked as he leaned against it, helplessly listening. Finally, Nathaniel Blaize gave one last savage kick to that door, and was gone.

Inside the room, Kael'thas grinned. "That's my girl." He congratulated Saturna.

He slapped the happy woman on her bare bottom, and she covered his face with grateful kisses.

"Oh," she moaned. "Kael'thas?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I can see again."

She saw and felt and tasted his smile all at once. "I knew that in time… you would." Then he couldn't help joking, "And every time, I swear, it's going to be exactly like this, Saturna. Me and my magical wang… we're always working miracles."

Saturna kept giggling. "Thank you… for saving me from him."

"No, thank you Saturna, for finally giving me a chance despite everything I've done wrong. Thank you a thousand times, from the bottom of my heart." They made love more gently after that, and long into the night.

A rumor spread throughout the Black Temple, went home with the many notorious party guests throughout Outland. Soon everyone in that realm came to learn of Prince Kael'thas' triumph with the notorious Bloodknight Saturna Whiteblade. But what really horrified people, kept them awake at night and glancing over their shoulders in Shatthrath City... Was the news that Lady Vashj had hundred thousand gold bottles of Shuru'kaal for sale.

As if the threats from the Burning Legion and The Betrayer weren't already bad enough... Now anyone with enough money, regardless of faction, race, villainous intentions, or outright repugnance could get laid. A counter rumor started that since it was so overpowered, it would get nerfed in the next patch.

But we all know how _that_ goes...


	18. Loving the Second in Command

**My Life for My Prince **

**Chapter Eighteen: Loving the Second in Command**

It occurred to Kael'thas that Saturna couldn't 'regret it in the morning' if she never actually slept.

"But sweetheart, I'm soo tired." Saturna tried to lay down but Kael'thas straddled her from behind and pulled her backward, into him. The woman whimpered pitifully and wrapped both arms around the white pillow. With his demon strength, Kael'thas was able to drag her and her small comfort midway down the bed and underneath him.

He leaned over Saturna on all fours.

"I'm glad you brought the pillow, actually. There is a height difference between us and you may need it, for leverage."

Saturna rubbed her eyes. "What are you talking about? Kael'thas, it's got to be morning by now…" she trailed off, "need to meet the guys… morning inspection."

"The sun doesn't rise unless I tell it to. Didn't you know that, Saturna?" he kissed her sweaty, naked back. "And I refuse to let go of this night until we try one last thing… I can't get it out of my head, not since Nagrand."

"I _adore _you, my Prince. But really, I did that for you already… several times, and it took hours."

Kael'thas folded the pillow underneath her hips and brought her rump up to meet him. "Not that… this."

Saturna clawed the sheets and arched her back.

Kael'thas smiled blissfully as he thrust into Saturna from behind. "This is all I wanted to do to you while on that phoenix, when you sat in front of me. It's a wonder that we didn't die, I was so distracted."

Saturna let forth a loud, pleading moan. She began to push him back, to help him ride her.

"You're so sexy…" Kael'thas gasped. "I thought I'd have to beg you for this, but all night long… Woman, you are so incredibly easy! Don't be mad… I mean that in the most flattering way possible. You're being so very good to me… after we waited for so long, I thought I was going to go crazy." As he became more excited he grabbed her hips. "This had better not be one of my damned frustrating dreams. I swear, if it is I'll kill that Lady Vashj—" his voice raised as he exclaimed it, the both of them nearing orgasm…

A loud knocking on the door brought Kael'thas to.

It was Advisor Sorn. "Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider! If you don't step out of that room this instant and see to the meeting you neglected last night…"

That was enough to throw Kael'thas off when it mattered most. Saturna noticed his hesitation and she started to have second thoughts about what they were doing. No, this was real… but Advisor Sorn, he was fast becoming his worst nightmare.

"Sorn?"

"Yes, my Prince?"

A woman's helpless whimpering.

"Do you want to die?"

Sorn knew better than to answer that question. One could barely hear him walking away, over what they were doing.

"No, Kael'thas." Saturna finally became embarrassed at the interruption and moved away. She curled up with the pillow at the head of the bed.

The Blood Elf Prince was left on his knees, his head in his hands. He pretended to cry.

Saturna couldn't help smiling at his comical frustration. She reached back, took his hand and had him lay down beside her.

"You're so silly," she giggled. "But really… I'm sore. I truly am, and soo tired. I think I even have a headache… but every part of me is so sore now, it's hard to tell what actually hurts."

"But you're still smiling. That means I did something right." He gently kissed the back of her neck and slipped his arms around her waist. "A whole hell of a lot." He withdrew his arms and watched while Saturna turned over to face him. As soon as she was comfortable he hugged her again. "Saturna… I hate to ask this, but last night was so incredibly amazing… I have to know. Will it always be like this? You were so eager to try everything…"

She nuzzled into him and whispered, "I was eager to have _you,_ in every possible way."

The contented silence didn't last forever.

Saturna swept pale blonde hair out of her face. "You're not… afraid that this will be our first and last time, are you?"

"It sounds like _you_ are. And… I guess I am worried to. We had a big disagreement back there, at the ball." He took her hand and kissed it. "You know though, what we were really arguing about last night was the future. And neither of us can predict that."

Saturna trailed her little toes up his taught calf muscle as she thought quietly. "Do you fear that the Horde would betray you, if you went back? The way the Alliance did? Is that why you won't ascend the throne?"

Kael'thas took a breath. "No… I never even got that far. I'm thinking of the throngs of people in Silvermoon City who are going to throw garbage at me and run me out of my ancestral homeland with pitchforks and burning torches."

"It wouldn't be that bad."

"Give me solid proof that it won't be."

Saturna nodded against his shoulder. "Alright, fair enough. You know, you can't prove to me that Illidan won't hurt you either."

"Nor can I prove to you that he's actually my friend. No matter what anyone else thinks, I believe that he is. Maybe that's because I'm a crazy warlock, like your Blaize says."

Saturna groaned. "He's not _my Blaize _anymore. In fact, let's not even mention his name, okay?"

"I agree. Instead, let's call him something else, like… asshat. General Asshat, your husband."

There was that ominous word again, _husband_…

Kael'thas wouldn't let go of her hand. "Couldn't we just… agree to disagree? And live here in the Black Temple… or really Tempest Keep once all this foolishness with Illidan transforming settles. We could have great sex all night long, spend every night like this one and just be happy together." He stole a kiss.

"Kael'thas, I've been meaning to tell you… you don't know your own strength any longer. You're hurting my hand right now. And before, when you rushed me off to the stables to get your phoenix, you bruised my wrist."

Kael'thas looked heartbroken to hear this. He carefully let go her hand. "I… I really didn't mean to."

She lowered her eyes. "I know that, but regardless… this is just like those times when you hurt me and you didn't even know it. What if you can't help yourself when it comes to Illidan? I helped you with your other addiction, but what about him?"

"I'm _not _addicted to Illidan—"

"And, Kael'thas, if that is true and you can't help yourself, then what happens to me if I just go along with whatever you want? Someone once told me… though I think they were just trying to scare me, that because you were evil I would have to darken my heart to be with you."

Kael'thas scowled. "And that person was Lianna, wasn't it? So that is what you meant last night when you said, 'Fuck you, Lianna.'"

Saturna laughed. "I should hope so… if not, then you missed out on another orgy—"

"That's not funny, Saturna." He admonished and she lowered her eyes. "I wish I'd never slept with that woman in the first place. Not that I had a choice back then, because of Lady Vashj and her damned Shuru'kaal… anyways, I'm glad that is your response to her assertion," he involuntarily yawned and that seemed to frustrate him more than having to argue his point in the first place, "I'm neither here nor there… I am just me. Sometimes I can be a jerk, I guess," he shrugged, "but sometimes _you_ are annoying, so there."

"I am _not_ annoying!"

"Sorry, Saturna, but if I can be 'evil' simply because I serve Illidan, then obsessed fangirl has 'annoying' written all over it."

"Do you ever want to sleep with me again in life?" she blurt out, embarrassed.

Kael'thas was about to say more, but he appeared to realize that this was a good time to restrain his rare personality. Saturna wanted to take back flaring up at him and beg for her Prince to forgive her, but she did a check in her head—the way she always did—to see if that was obsessive fangirl behavior or not. Grudgingly, she let her threat to Kael'thas stand.

"Kael'thas, love," she couldn't help conceding a nickname after her outburst that she was now feeling unreasonably guilty for, "I don't think that you are a bad person. I believe that you are still in a lot of pain. But guess what? I'm not just your lover. I'm your Bloodknight. Your hurt is my hurt. I want your wounds, I accept your failings… I refuse to let this be the end, when I finally understand you. It can't be… I won't let it be, not when it feels like I am just beginning, for knowing your heart at last."

"I might disappoint you." His answered unhappily.

Saturna leaned up on an elbow. "Oh, sweetheart, you could never—"

"Is that because you've set out to redeem me? And if your plans to save my soul work out then I can't possibly disappoint you? Is that how you're so sure?"

Saturna looked at him intently. "When I first came here, I set about protecting you… I soon found that you were your own greatest enemy. I know that I can't force you to change your mind, about being here in Outland and listening to Illidan… but I don't think that it is unreasonable for me to encourage you to do the right thing. That is part of my vow as a Bloodknight, to watch over you. You can't take that away from me, Kael'thas!"

He sat up and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't need saving! I chose to stay out here. And you know what," he laughed bitterly, "your misunderstanding me is my own fault. Back in Nagrand, I was so focused on winning you over that I didn't want to bring up the other, less savory reason why I chose to ally myself with Illidan."

Saturna blinked. "You… weren't honest with me?"

"Oh, I was. I really was moved by compassion to help Illidan. Years ago, when he consumed the skull of Gul'dan, he had no idea how it would affect him. Demon magic is never an exact science, and it's tragic that it should turn on him in Outland now that he needs it the most. But it wasn't just a desire to help my newfound friend, Saturna. I liked how powerful he was… and I wanted to be just like him."

Saturna reached out to touch him but she gave up midway, allowed her reach to fall short.

"I'm no martyr, Saturna." He smirked. "I wanted revenge on Arthas… and then I came to like Illidan's power. It's such a rush… I don't want to live my life without feeling this way. It's like a blazing fire, always inside of me. All I want to do is let it out… and burn everything in my path! I can do that here, I can live however I want… but not at home. Silvermoon is a cage… Azeroth is a cage for me as I am now, the same way it became a prison for Illidan." He looked down at her. "So you see, now, why I can't promise you that there will be no disappointment. If you are only here with me because you think you can save me… then you have already disappointed yourself."

Saturna pulled on his arms, forcing them apart. Then she hugged him and seized the affection he was so unwilling to give in that moment.

"I love you… I can't lie to you, Kael'thas. The truth is that you aren't safe, that is why I want to save you." She begged him, "Please, let me save you."

"No," he breathed over her lips as she drew him into passionate kisses. He kissed her back. "The power… it feels too good."

Saturna sat in his lap and faced him. "But I… feel better."

Kael'thas made love to her again, because he wanted to. He wanted her even though they hadn't settled anything. It seemed that Saturna felt the same way.

When they were nearly finished, she confessed, "I just don't want this to be our last time, that's all. I don't want to lose you to Illidan."

"I remember what you said at the ball, about needing a man you could count on." Kael'thas gently kissed her shoulder. "I do want to be that man for you. I won't put us in danger, Saturna, so please don't worry. There is no way that I would let Illidan come between us."

At last, they could rest.

Kael'thas watched Saturna sleep. He had not forgotten about his meeting. He secretly wondered why Illidan hadn't called for him. He also secretly wanted Illidan to call him, so that he could feel like he spent the maximum amount of time stealing away with Saturna. But when Illidan didn't, the Blood Elf Prince began to worry. After a short nap with Saturna, he got dressed, left her a note, and slipped back outside into reality.

There was no sneaking into Illidan's lair for the meeting that afternoon. All of the Demon Lord's generals glared at Kael'thas as he crept over to take a seat at the stone table. He nearly made it without incident when General Blaize addressed him:

"I see you've left off screwing my wife long enough to screw up your other job, Prince Kael'thas." For some reason, Blaize was leading the meeting.

Kael'thas stood behind his chair and looked at his inferior in shock. Lady Vashj smirked and Wave Commander Scy'thlerin grinned too. Akama wore his usual toothed scowl, and Fel Orc Warchief Kargath Bladefist idly rubbed his thumb over a sharp tusk protruding from his lower jaw. Advisor Sorn was beside the red Fel Orc taking notes and tried his best not to draw attention to Kael'thas' lateness. Deep in the shadow, Lord Illidan sat in a large stone chair that looked like a throne some feet behind General Blaize. One could only see his clawed right hand grasp the armrest.

Kael'thas got the distinct feeling that Illidan had no intention of defending him.

"General Blaize, my private life is certainly none of your—"

"It's got _everything _to do with me!" Blaize sneered at him. "Our Lord is weakening and everyone in Outland knows about that now, except for you. Why? Because you are late. You were not even present last night, when Lord Illidan tried to alert everyone. I was the only one there, I know what is going on and the task of appraising everyone of the emergency today has fallen to me. _I_ am doing _your_ job."

"It is a waste of your breath to upbraid him, though he _is _acting like a schoolboy, as usual." Akama said ominously. The others started to laugh at Kael'thas. It wasn't clear if Akama had a sense of humor or not, but it seemed not to matter. Lady Vashj was the spiteful ringleader.

"Sit, Blood Elf Prince, join usss." Lady Vashj purred at him, feigning apology. There was a strange menace in her tone though. She was in his usual seat next to Illidan. Illidan's seat at the table was vacant. Kael'thas was hesitant to take the seat. It meant too much.

_Do as she says, Kael'thas._

Kael'thas sat and General Blaize continued. The man looked exhausted, haggard, but confident despite having lost everything the night before. Kael'thas hated feeling it, the pride of having selected such a strong leader for his soldiers.

"Therefore, we have at most two weeks." Blaize said. "When the month ends, the prophecy will have been fulfilled… if we prove to the Shatar and the other people of Outland that Lord Illidan is stronger than a feeble Draenei prophecy, then we will have won. All we need to do is fortify our defenses here and keep the raiders at bay until then. Our spies report that the Shatar are facing a greater threat from the Burning Legion at the moment, but if you count the professional raiding guilds from the Horde and the Alliance, the Shatar really have decent footsoldiers to spare. That's the kind of war we will be fighting."

"Wait, a prophecy? Illidan weakening? That's foolishness…" Kael'thas objected. Especially because of the Soul Link, he should have known about it.

"IF you had been here on time," Blaize raised a red eyebrow in challenge, "you would know what I am talking about. I am _not_ going to repeat myself." He turned and bowed to Illidan. "I will leave the task of filling you in on your recent assignment to Lord Illidan, Second in Command."

Kael'thas got to his feet. "I am _your_ Prince! You will _always _answer to me."

Lady Vashj hissed at Kael'thas. "You've been promoted… you have a coveted place beside Illidan, Kael'thas!" she sounded very angry about it, which was no surprise because it had been her job until recently. "Blaize still falls in your shadow."

Blaize let Kael'thas feel embarrassed for his outburst, waited until his prince settled himself back down. Lady Vashj glared at him the whole time, then finally ended baring her teeth. Wave Commander Scyth'lerin snarled at Kael'thas beside his Queen.

"As I was saying, we have fourteen days starting tomorrow. You all know your tasks, and in Kael'thas' absence, I know what I'm meant to do. Has anyone got any questions?"

Silence, except for Akama tapping his long nails on the table. Everyone fidgeted. It was a reminder that he had been doing it for the entire meeting.

"Then you are dismissed." Blaize saluted all of them. The Fel Orc and the Broken each showed their respect before leaving. Kael'thas noted now that they directed the gestures at Illidan who sat quietly behind Blaize, and not his general.

Lady Vashj rushed up and whispered to him, "All my hard work, all my plansss… come to ruin because of your deceitful warlock magics! Perhaps you think you've won, that you've displaced me by his side…" she lowered her voice. "But I will tear out your innards with my own claws and feed them to my consorts before—"

"Lady Vashj!" Illidan roared. His wrath was explosive.

"You will make a mistake, Kael'thasss… and then I will come for you. You will regret ever crossing me."

Kael'thas took an angry breath as she departed. "What are you going to do, send me another Demon in a bottle? Cause me to have another night of mind-shattering sex with a beautiful woman? I invite you to try, you siren hag!"

She bristled and her hissing turned into a high-pitched screech that gave Kael'thas goosebumps. He knew better than to show his fear though.

Kael'thas turned on General Blaize next. The man was already on his way out, gruffly kept his back turned as he walked away. "Unless you want to speak to me about your soldiers… we have nothing to say to each other." Blaize saluted the wall ahead, not him, and left.

_Don't pursue him, Kael'thas._

Kael'thas decided he would take the time to deal with Blaize later.

"Now do you see what you have done?" Advisor Sorn seemed to have waited behind to give Kael'thas a lecture on top of everyone else's show of aggression. "I begged you to come on time this morning, and that was hours ago. Whatever you were doing was not more important than this emergency!"

Kael'thas casually took a seat next to Advisor Sorn. As he spoke, he barely kept his anger in check. "Oh yes it was. This morning, I was making love to Mistress Saturna's ass." Sorn did a double take. Kael'thas grinned evilly at the proper old gentleman and shamelessly continued. "It is a beautiful, supple backside that I have been pining after for a very long time. It took me all night to convince the lovely woman to let me indulge, and when we finally got around to it this morning, you knocked on her door. The excellent musk of our passionate sex, her sweet excitement that trickled down her thighs onto mine—that I know because I tasted her before then, to encourage her—and the feeling of her perfect buttocks against me, were all ruined because of your interruption. She lost heart after that, and I was left oh so very unsatisfied." In a lot of ways, it went against Kael'thas' earlier observation that Saturna was easy when it came to him, and she'd certainly admitted as much herself. But Kael'thas felt that wasn't dramatic enough for his current purposes, so he embellished.

Advisor Sorn slammed his ledger down on the table. "Your Majesty! I have come to my limit! That is highly distasteful and rude conversation… especially in the presence of Lord Illidan! How dare you!"

Kael'thas laughed sarcastically. "How dare I? If you wish not to know what I do in the odd hours of the morning while in the company of a lady, then you shouldn't go interrupting me, now should you? And, save for your selfish interruption, everything went well with Mistress Whiteblade, so I expect there will be many more late mornings. I hope you'll consider that next time before you go embarrassing me."

Sorn was indignant. "With your permission…" Kael'thas inclined his head. "I bid you good day, Sirs!" and marched off.

He and Illidan sat alone in the room while the heavy stone doors slammed shut. They echoed.

"You put that woman before me again." Illidan's demonic was in full force.

Kael'thas boldly met Illidan's intense gaze anyway.

"You made me your Second in Command, without even asking me! What is wrong with you?"

"You weren't here…" his voice slithered and echoed though he wasn't really speaking that loudly.

"When I came to Outland I told you that I did not wish to go back! I told you that I came here to be free of the Thalassian throne, that I've loathed having to take it my entire life. And now you go and bind me to another one?"

"You are only in the spot just beneath me, Kael'thas. Now do you dare to continue complaining? You will make me regret my choice, and then I will have to give you a far lesser one!"

"It is a throne!" Kael'thas refused to be intimidated. "A throne made of stone and flesh…" he walked over to Illidan's trophy table and swept aside some of the large skulls in a flash of rage. They shattered on the black tiled floor. "A throne of destruction and death! You want to enslave me to your misdeeds, your cruel decisions. You know better than I what is going on here. You have made me the Lord of Outland this day, because you know that you aren't fit to rule the way you are, weak from lacking full demonhood! You wanted me to be your master Illidan, and well you've gone and done it, haven't you? You've done it without my consent! How did you hide your suffering from me? How did you manage to lie through the Soul Link, how did you manage to betray our friendship, after everything we've been through!"

Illidan clawed his right hand in the sliver of light. "Insolence! Do you only think of pleasuring yourself! Did you really think that you could hide out in Tempest Keep and do your experiments forever? We built this land together, you and I. We killed together, we stole together! Both our souls are marked, it was a necessary thing to do, to tame this place. The golden streets of your city are paved with the spoils of conquest. The Naaru you sent back to Silvermoon, for them to feed their addiction off of, like leeches… Don't you have eyes? That you did out of cold blood, the way a conqueror must be. And we aren't finished yet, Kael'thas. We still have a great deal of work to do. If we want to take this land for our own, someone will have to lead. And who would that be if not myself? Lady Vashj? That shifty Akama? Certainly not a Fel Orc. No… you are the only one I trust Kael'thas." Illidan inhaled a tortured breath.

"I came here because I chose not to sit on anyone's throne!"

"Yes, I know. How could I forget what you want, my friend? It was because you would have said no, that you did not have a choice. Your taking Lady Vashj's place is for everyone's benefit, whether you like it or not." Illidan began a fit of coughing. It took a while for him to recover. He had to bend over his knees to catch a breath. Kael'thas could finally see the crown of his head when he leaned out of the shadow for that one brief moment. Illidan looked gaunt, sickly. No wonder he allowed General Blaize to run the meeting in his place.

"Illidan… what's happened to you?" Kael'thas became concerned.

"The time for me to transform is finally here. To protect against that, everything I told Blaize last night, and that he told them this morning… is a lie."

It didn't take Kael'thas long to figure out why Illidan was so sneaky about it. That the Demon Lord was in truth, weak… that was a secret only the two of them shared. Well, he had also told Saturna, but Kael'thas knew better than to dwell on that thought too long right now. "Illidan… becoming a full Demon is not so absolute… my astromancers tried, I tried, and none of us could predict it. All we've ever had to go on are your feelings. I'm afraid that all you're really going through right now is a rough patch. You're under unusual stress because of the Shatar attacks, but we all go through it Illidan. You remember that emotion don't you? Stress? You're making far more of this than it actually is."

"Someone here has betrayed me, has taken your discoveries and shared them with someone else who _was_ able to figure out my exact transformation date, Kael'thas. I am not imagining things, my spies brought this news to me the night of the ball. The Shatar know that I will be weakest during these next two weeks. I think our Soul Link is being affected by it, and that's why you've been blind to me… I feel the problem, it comes and goes." He scratched his jaw. "But, we are lucky that my spies uncovered what the Shatar calculated, even if I did find out only last night. Kael'thas, the truth is they fabricated that prophecy to mask their dark divining, what they stole from us and then because of their zealotry, realized they could not confess to stealing. The propaganda is based on some obscure reference in an ancient text. I've seen it, there are various coincidences involving a horned villain, redemption of defiled lands… and then there is also the time frame." Illidan snarled. "All of it is a pile of elekk shit."

Kael'thas leaned against the stone meeting table. "The results are the same, however. They have gained an advantage over us and are rushing to make good use of it."

"Yes. I think they also seek to regain courage after their defeat at our gates. General Blaize has already told you how it's incensed the Horde and Alliance raiding guilds, even though the Shatar themselves are not in a prime position to fight." Illidan grumbled, "They march through Shadowmoon Valley like they've been given keys to this place."

Kael'thas tapped his jaw pensively. "Predicting the exact date of your transformation… that sounds like the work of a powerful Skettis to me… though those bird-men allied with the Shatar claim to have been redeemed."

"Whomever the betrayer is doesn't matter Kael'thas. Right now, I am not strong enough to tackle that issue when there is a greater threat. The Horde and Alliance raiders will try to take this place on behalf of the Shatar before I transform, since it will be easiest while I am weak… After the fourteen days are up, who knows? I may change into a monster or a madman… it is for time to tell which I will be."

Kael'thas smoothed his long hair back and sighed. "That is not very much time at all."

"Not for me, no. But for you… you have plenty of time, to enslave me and end my suffering. You, a strong, healthy, and capable warlock could take my powers for yourself. You could singlehandedly seal the fate of Outland, Kael'thas."

"No Illidan. You've already made me your Second in Command, against my will. If I enslave you at this point, I won't just be guiding your powers as a warlock… I'd end up becoming the Lord of Outland myself whether or not you officially give up the office. Over these next few days, and depending on how your transformation turns out, I could be controlling you and doing this work for the rest of my life. As a warlock, I know my own limits. Crossing that line would cause me to become completely corrupt. I don't want that."

"No? Do you expect to go back home then, when you're done vacationing here in Outland? Done with your woman pet?" Illidan mocked him.

Kael'thas lowered his eyes. "No. You know that's not what I meant. We are friends, I want to see you succeed, Illidan. My place is here."

"If that is the case, then you should accept your fate. Why you do not want to become all-powerful and immortal through adopting my strength is beyond me, Blood Elf. But you have two weeks to choose. Then after that, no more choices."

Kael'thas sensed that Illidan was through with him, but he dared stay a bit longer. He felt he should say one last thing. "Illidan… I really do wish that you had asked me whether or not I wanted to be your Second in Command. I… now I have to go back on a promise I made to her." he looked troubled. "I could lose her."

Illidan growled. "Yes, you are right to fear mentioning that woman's name in my presence."

Kael'thas looked up, agitated. "Are you threatening Saturna? In front of my face?"

Illidan tried to speak, but was overcome by a fit of coughing.

Kael'thas winced compassionately. "Illidan, my friend… you need help, you aren't well—"

Illidan cut Kael'thas off. "Finally, you understand the sincerity of my plea. Now, unless you intend to enslave me here and now, please go."

Kael'thas slowly turned and walked toward the door. He wondered how he was going to explain this to Saturna. How many hours had passed since he vowed to be the sort of man she deserved, so that they could be together? Hardly more than one had gone by. And now he was a hair's breadth away from stepping right into Illidan's shoes, and becoming the Lord of Outland himself.

"And Kael'thas… do not DARE to put that woman before me again! This is your second warning. There will not be a third!"

Why did it always feel like Illidan was aware of his very thoughts and compulsions, not just his feelings? They truly were close friends, it seemed to Kael'thas, if Illidan did not need the Soul Link to understand him well.

The Blood Elf Prince made himself stop at the door. He turned around and bowed to the Demon Lord. It was really the only thing Kael'thas could do. He felt that he had no right to defend himself before Illidan, when he was clearly in the wrong for missing everything. "Yes, Master."

"I would have it the other way around." Illidan reminded him, and coughed again as Kael'thas departed.

Kael'thas didn't want to break the bad news to Saturna. He was surprised to see just how much daylight he'd burned stealing away with her and resolved to let the note he left comfort her for now… until he worked up the courage. He wandered back to his room and lingered there, not really able to get any work done. After a few hours of this, Kael'thas had an early dinner and went to find her.

When he knocked, Saturna opened the door, jumped on him, kissed him, and squealed with delight. All this in a matter of seconds.

"Sorry," she shyly apologized when he put her down.

"No… that's alright, actually. You're the one person who was truly happy to see me today." He attempted to joke.

"Aww… my poor baby. Did your meeting not go well? Of course, I only know that's where you went because of your note. When Sorn knocked on my door earlier, it was really hard to… catch what he was saying," she really started to smile. "…because you were giving me a very special… Mmm. You know, I thought about it, and it wasn't really that bad, what we were doing. We could do that again you know. And then there was something else I was thinking of…" she leaned up and whispered the rest in his ear. Kael'thas bit his lower lip and winced. "In fact, let's do it right now." She pulled on his arm.

"Oh, Saturna, you don't know how tempting that is, but… there's something I need to tell you first." he lowered his eyes.

"Is there?" she worried. "Wait! There's something I need to do first too, before we go any further."

"I'm afraid that mine is more important…"

But Saturna was already knocking on the guys' door. "How can you say that? This _is_ important!"

Fennore didn't answer the door this time. Pyorin stood there wearing his tuxedo from last night, his Darkmoon Faire cards in one hand. His clean shaven look and the smile on his face hinted at the excellent night he had, no doubt in someone else's bedroom.

"Oh, Saturna…" he frowned a little. "I don't think I'm up for a pity party right now. I'm tired from the ball, Fennore and Sunthraze are sleeping."

Saturna yanked a reluctant Kael'thas over, then gave Pyorin a big smile. "Now, does this look like a pity party to you?"

Pyorin had to put his cards away. "You're kidding me, right? Did the two of you… finally?"

Saturna hopped up and down and hugged Pyorin. A little flattered, Kael'thas followed his squealing fangirl into their room.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Saturna shouted.

"What? Is it Winter's Veil already, mommy?" Fennore pried his eyes open.

"No, but I got my present early this year! Look!" she spread her arms wide as if Kael'thas was in fact a gigantic wrapped gift in their midst.

"Saturna, can you keep your voice down? My head is killing me… Aaaaah!" Sunthraze freaked out when he saw Kael'thas standing there. "Please don't kill me! It was the Shuru'kaal, I swear! I didn't mean to sleep with Saturna!"

Pyorin became furious in an instant. "You what!"

Kael'thas crossed his arms. "He didn't. If he had then he would be below the temple at the moment. Saturna, now that we've said hello, can we go and talk somewhere private?"

Fennore seemed to fully awaken then. "Wait, this isn't a fangirl walk of shame? Saturna," he joked, "where's the brooding, the insistence that your life is going to come to an end, the panicking over General Blaize?"

"You mean General Asshat." Kael'thas answered.

Pyorin burst out laughing. "Nice one, Kael'thas."

Kael'thas snickered. "Yeah, I think I'm going to pass an edict and make it official. But really you all, Saturna and I can't stay—"

"We had sex!" Saturna blurt out, then covered her mouth.

The guys all started laughing. Sunthraze's was eager-to-please, nervous laughter and he scooted far down the bed from Fennore.

"Wait… why am I sharing a bed with Fennore?" he asked.

"You guys, pay attention to me! This is big—"

"Because you were too drunk for Sophie to carry you up to the top bunk." Pyorin answered. "Did you really think that woman was going to carry you after you slept with her? I mean, she shouldn't have to do _all_ the work."

"Kael'thas and I had a long talk and…"

"I slept with your date? No… Pyorin, I was so drunk, I had no idea it was her that came in the room."

"Who did you think it was, then, Sunthraze?" Kael'thas put in.

Saturna kept trying to recount her amazing night with the man of her dreams. She was so caught up in her excitement that she didn't notice they were speaking over her. "… but that's not fair, to call someone evil. So Kael'thas and I decided to just wait and see what the future will bring…"

"It doesn't matter, Kael'thas. What I did was a huge mistake. If it wasn't for that damned Naga rum, I would have never gone after Saturna like that. Okay, okay so maybe I wanted to sleep with her all along, but I wasn't really gonna' do it, I can control myself… Okay fine! Between the two of you, can I at least get a running start?"

"You're lucky I've had Shuru'kaal before. I understand." Kael'thas pointed at him angrily.

"… and the whole time I was afraid that I'd have to choose between Nate and Kael'thas, but really, there is no choice because Nate was such a jerk to me…"

Pyorin said, "Yeah, Sunthraze, and you're lucky that I found someone else after the Naga party. I'm not mad at you over Sophie. You saved my ass, actually. She never found out where I went last night because she found you in this room, and could care less about me." He shrugged.

Fennore raised both his eyebrows. "Kael'thas, you've had Shuru'kaal before? Who gave it to you?"

"Huh? Oh, that was like a year ago. Lady Vashj was trying to trick me."

Then everyone all at once, "You slept with Lady Vashj?!"

Kael'thas was so embarrassed and startled at once that he staggered back and tripped over his own feet. Saturna looked especially disturbed.

"No! It was her idea, not mine… I got wise towards the end and got away from her, though, thank the Sun! Saturna, please let's go."

No one was speaking excitedly now. Everyone stared at Kael'thas.

"Daaamn." Sunthraze said, then flinched and covered his face with Kael'thas looked ready to hit him.

"I'll have you know that the only reason you're not burnt to a crisp right now is because when General Blaize knocked on Saturna's door last night, he only asked for her, not me. Which means that you could have tried to get me into trouble, but you didn't."

"That's good right? I mean, yeah… that was my intention all along, to help you out, Kael'thas. My life for my Prince?" he saluted awkwardly at the end.

"Wait a minute! Speaking of stealing other people's dates!" which was funny for Fennore to say now considering the argument over Sophie ended some time ago. He swayed on his feet when he stood to challenge Pyorin. "You, sir are _not_ my friend anymore! Homewrecker! Mavia stealer! What happened to 'bros before ho's'? Bloodknights before… getting a blow job from my woman in front of everyone at Lady Vashj's afterparty!"

Kael'thas raised his eyebrows at this and wrapped an arm around a disturbed Saturna. Sunthraze breathed a sigh of relief that he was no longer the center of attention.

"I did not steal Mavia from you. She's a succubus. She threatened to drown my date if I didn't have sex with her right then and there. Did you want Sophie to _die_?"

"Liar! I drank so much Shuru'kaal last night… and I was the only one who didn't get anything out of it. And, it's your fault!"

Sunthraze got to his feet too. "Yeah, Pyorin. You're always the moral one, telling us what to do, and you stole _his_ girlfriend."

"Mavia isn't his girl! And you shut up, you pumpkin-headed freak!"

"Excuse me? No one with split ends as bad as yours makes fun of _my _hair. Conditioner, much?"

Fennore shouted over all three of them. "All I know is, someone's not getting any heals the next time we go on a raid!"

"I'm a Bloodknight tank! I can heal myself, Fennore! I also have a powerful taunt that I'm going to use to aggro the entire dungeon onto you, Mr. Healer, after I pop my Divine Shield—"

Then the shoving started. Saturna whispered to Kael'thas. "Alright, I think we can go now. This is starting to get ugly." Then aloud she told her Bloodknights, "The first one that I hear draws blood, um… gets twenty laps around the Black Temple, so keep it civil!" Then Kael'thas tugged on Saturna's hand and they finally went back out into the hallway.

"Charming, aren't they?" Saturna apologized. They stood before her door in the hallway.

"Yes, in a locker room brawl sort of way. Not that I'd know, I was the sort to keep clear of jocks." Then he looked fondly at the woman in his arms. "But however bookworm I was, somehow, I ended up with the cheerleader."

They were sharing a happy kiss when a passing Sunfury soldier saluted Kael'thas. "Congratulations on making Second Commander, Prince Kael'thas! We're all relieved that Lady Vashj won't be doing it anymore…"

Saturna stiffened in his arms. "You… you are Illidan's right hand man now? When did this happen? Did you actually agree to this? After we talked? That's one small step away from…" she realized, "Actually becoming the Lord of Outland."

She broke out of his arms and tried to disappear into her room, but Kael'thas was faster. He begged like a penitent for a chance to explain. It was nothing short of grace that Saturna agreed to it. Perhaps if she wasn't so crazy about him, he would not have had even that chance.

Kael'thas took her to the Golden Shrine, where they could speak without any more annoying interruptions.

They faced off in front of his desk, and Kael'thas sheepishly cleared his throat.

"When I was in a better mood this morning… I had some champagne sent over, according to the romantic evening I planned for us in my note. Here, hand me that glass?" Saturna crossed her arms and glared at him. Kael'thas laughed nervously and fixed his own drink. By himself, he finished off one glass and then another, finally a third. Saturna made him stop at the fourth one.

"Tell me what's going on, Kael'thas. You're scaring me."

"In two weeks days..." He began and covered his face. "Illidan will be a full Demon."

She leaned alongside him, against the desk. "But how do you know for sure—"

"I've already told you too much. They are going to raid and raid and raid this place… try to knock down the doors, right off their hinges. And that entire time, our champion will be at his weakest moment. We have to hold this fortress until the end, for Illidan. And then what? He may turn into an emotionless monster, a hundred times stronger than he is now, free to do whatever he wants with his god-like power. Or, he might become completely insane and someone will have to take his place." He paused. "Saturna… he named me his Second in Command today, while I wasn't there. That was what the meeting was about. I'm sort of glad that I left you… to hear about my own destiny. Then again… I also wish that I never heard it, never left your side at all, only to lose you."

Saturna spoke the implications to herself out loud, a little panicked. "Once you become the Lord of Outland, Kael'thas, there's no going back. Everyone will know. All that hatred, all that conflict, every single thing that Illidan has ever done, or might have done, or should have done, will be your fault. They won't send armies here to slay The Betrayer, but you. You and everyone… that you rely on, or care about."

Kael'thas hugged an arm around her shoulders. Saturna didn't reject it.

"Maybe it's the right thing for Illidan and his allies right now… But if you assumed complete control of Outland, the Horde would never forgive you. You wouldn't have a choice to go back to Silvermoon City anymore, you could never go back and be the King of Quel'thalas."

"Saturna," he reminded her quietly. "I never said that I wanted to be."

"But the choice! That in itself is the point. You _must_ have a choice… this is too big a destiny, just for it to be thrust upon you. If there is any way that you can take a step back and think about this—"

"Sometimes, Saturna, I forget how young you are. You are forever an optimist, aren't you, and a little naïve." Kael'thas looked her in the eye to show that he didn't mean it in a degrading way. "I like that about you. But sometimes, we don't have a choice. Sometimes bad things happen, and your only option is to survive them. Like a leaf, caught in a stream..."

"It's not the same, Kael'thas! And I don't care what you say, Illidan is not some puppydog that needs watching. No matter what, he's a monster."

"Shhh…" he told her in a calm voice. "Most times I can prevent it, and so can he, but you never know what he can hear, through the Soul Link." Illidan had said that the Demon magic was malfunctioning so near to his transformation but Kael'thas was afraid to get so comfortable with the prospect of finally having privacy.

And then Kael'thas realized how much he missed having his own thoughts and feelings.

He waited a long time for the inevitable other shoe to fall. Saturna paced away to stand by herself. She rubbed her arms as if she were alone and cold.

"I am truly scared for you Kael'thas. You _are_ being manipulated. The people who you thought were your friends when you first came to Outland… they are betraying you every single day. But you don't seem to mind. I… I can't fathom why not?"

"Saturna, I explained this to you in Nagrand, and this morning. I can't force the Blood Elf people to accept me after everything I've done wrong. I'm an outlaw, Saturna. I don't need to go back home and have them call me a criminal to know that I am. I'm currently living in self-exile. I decided a long time ago that it's better for me to die at the hands of my enemies in Outland, while doing something for the Blood Elf people over at Tempest Keep—and at least have the freedom to be myself while I'm doing so! Than to die while sitting on that throne, trying to but unable to do anything for them at all because of the political friction, their rejection of me."

"It was so easy for me to insist that you could be wrong, about being here." Saturna went and sat on his traditional low Thalassian bed. For Black Temple accommodations, it was more than posh. Kael'thas lingered at his desk, sipping another glass of champagne alone. He tried not to look at her in his bed. It was a reminder that things between them should be different right now… but they were strained, because of Illidan. "But I refused to see the possibility that I might be being a bit… overzealous as far as you're concerned? And, we've already been trying it your way so far… it's not so bad I guess."

Kael'thas set his drink down. "What are you saying?"

"My life for my Prince." Saturna solemnly met his eye. "We are going to see this thing through together, to the end. No matter what, my place is by your side, I promise."

Kael'thas went to her immediately. "It is so wonderful to finally hear someone say that to me, especially you." He hugged her gratefully. "Though… I can't allow you to promise." He pulled back a little and kissed her gently. "If something ever goes wrong, Saturna… I want you to get out."

Saturna blinked at him.

He whispered up into her ear. "That is what the Scryers did. Now that we are enemies doesn't mean that I don't understand… that they needed to get out."

It was a dangerous thing to say, out loud no less. But that was the point. No matter what, Kael'thas wanted Saturna to hear it from him, to know what his true intentions were. Saturna grasped the risk he was taking and returned the warm embrace.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. "By the Sun… I truly am lucky to have you Saturna."

Kael'thas kissed her. He didn't expect to want it so much. A deeper need seized him along with the physical one. He rushed to take off her clothing and possess her. He suddenly wanted to see her naked body, not for the thrill of it, but to remind himself that she was his. He wanted to see the freckle he memorized this morning, feel her belly button again with his tongue. He wanted to be inside of her again, to make it happen once more and fast, so that it wouldn't be just that one night. This would be their second time together… then he would be sure that it wasn't a crime of lust, shameless adultery, but real.

He undressed as fast as he could and took Saturna aggressively. It was a relief that she gave into him easily, as she had before. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. It wasn't just the alcohol. It was passion, true love they shared.

When Kael'thas finished, Saturna gave him a firm hug. "It's not about luck, Kael'thas." She reflected. "I believe in my heart… that you are a beautiful person. No matter what, I _want_ to be with you. It was hard for me to accept that, regardless of what people said about you or what I saw you do. First, before we came to the Black Temple, my own Bloodknights called me niave for still wanting to help you. Then after that, I met your previous champions in the dungeon, and third, I recall you slammed a door in my face… it finally took you burning up your own room for me to fear you." She hugged him against the unsettling confession. Her voice strained with emotion. "But through it all, I still believed in you, I fell in love with you regardless. That frightened me the most, that the real Prince of Quel'thalas was a powerful and passionate man, beyond what anyone could have ever imagined. You went from two-dimensional in my mind, like reading about a holy spell in a book, to being three dimensional, the actual physical calling of that beautiful Light. You are terrifying but beautiful, angry but also so loving… you care about your friend Illidan in a way that I just can't understand."

Kael'thas wasn't caressing her anymore. The part of his mind that refused to see the real Golden Shrine, a spoil of bloody conquest relaxed its hold. He allowed himself to see at last that he was not at home. Not because Tempest Keep was his real center of operations, but because the land his people had fought for over generations and died for was far away, on a whole other planet, that he willingly walked away from. Kael'thas was suddenly afraid of being here in Outland, with no family or friends to help him. But Saturna was steady. She was so honest and warm… and he began to fear that she was right.

When Kael'thas looked at her again, Saturna had settled down at his side against the red pillows, her eyes heavy with sleep. "I told you once that you were the sun in my sky." She said in a small voice. "How can someone curse the sun for shining too brightly? It's impossible. Whatever I say or do to guide or sway you… it wouldn't make a difference anyway. I finally understand this about you Kael'thas. The Bloodknights and I… we will see to it that you continue to shine. And myself especially, because you mean even more to me today than you ever did before."

Kael'thas lay down beside her. "The Sun… what you just said sounds so familiar. It reminds me of a song my mother used to sing to me." He pulled the red sheets up over them and tried to remember it. "… You'll never know dear, how much I love you. So don't take my sunshine away." He rubbed his eyes with the inside of his wrist and yawned. "Something like that. I'll spare you the rest though, Saturna, since my singing voice is so horrible."

But when he looked down, Saturna was already asleep.

The sun set.

Kael'thas' many worries kept him awake for a long time. Through it all, he was conscious of Saturna's warm breath against his shoulder. It was steady, innocent. It was impossible to forget that she believed in him, even though she knew who he really was and sensed where he was truly going. That was what finally gave him the courage to close his eyes and rest. Because in her own special way, the Bloodknight Saturna Whiteblade made Kael'thas feel safe.

In the North Wing of the Black Temple, Kael'thas' political rival also had trouble sleeping.

Lady Vashj rarely dreamed for her own protection when she could manage it. So, when she opened her eyes to find Lord Illidan sitting very near to her on the red couch in his lair, she tried in vain to wake up.

Putrid green smoke was everywhere around them. The fel haze smelled like brimstone and death, and it was coming from Illidan's elven hookah that lay on the floor between cleft hooves.

Illidan blew a long drag out of his nostrils and eased back on the red couch. He didn't look at all the way he did at the meeting. In fact, he looked better than she ever remembered. The sharp jawline of the handsome face was smooth and free of the few dark battle scars she had become familiar with. The tempting lips stretched into a sexy, self-assured smile. His sharp canine teeth made the look tantalizingly fiendish. The rich dark purple skin glistened, the cut of his muscles was perfect. She watched Illidan breathe, and found that she liked it, which surprised her. Lady Vashj had observed long ago that her half-demon friend was an attractive man, but was he always this exceptionally handsome?

Next, she realized how close together they were sitting. Half-demon or not, Lady Vashj decided long ago that she didn't want Illidan as a mate for reasons far more dangerous than his looks. She attempted to move away from him but couldn't. It wasn't because Illidan was holding her though. She looked up to see that his free arm was stretched out intimately behind her neck, over the red cushions.

"Where is your finest bottle of Shuru'kaal, Lady Vashj?" the green smoke wafted over his sharp teeth. Then, without taking his eyes off the darkness of the room before him, Illidan reached down and opened his pants. As a woman, Lady Vashj found hard it not to look at his penis. But not because Illidan exposing himself to her was enticing. It was a singular sort of threat to be trapped alone with a man in that state, like someone wordlessly drawing a machete and slamming it down on the dinner table. That the person you trusted possessed the intent to kill you with it was the real threat, not the blade itself.

"You were so kind to give some to Saturna, a whole bottle in fact." He continued to stare straight ahead and smoke, as if there was nothing wrong with exposing himself. His sudden lack of respect for her was frightening. "And what did Saturna do with it? She goes and offers her backside to Kael'thas. And what does he do with that?"

"My Lord, I only wished to—"

"Is she any closer to being destroyed!" Illidan thundered.

"You… aren't sssick, are you?" she solemnly concluded. "You are a full Demon now."

Lady Vashj used all her mental effort and rare Naga magics to get out of the dream at that moment, but couldn't. This terrified her. Illidan didn't have soothsayers of his own, and Path'raxxis the Seer… she'd chosen him for a mate this night and he was definitely asleep by her side, where her body lay in the Lagoon.

Illidan gave a deeply satisfied, lustful groan and tilted his head back. It was obvious how the smoke combined with her company made him feel. And that he'd opened his pants and simply waited… it reminded her that she'd offered to please him many times but never did. Great black horns curved up toward the ceiling and cut through the green fog as Illidan moved.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm not a soulless monster for one, just thousands of times more powerful than I was before. And there are a great deal of other advantages too." He took another long drag of the lethal stuff. "You know, it's really been too long since I've enjoyed one of these. I should send some of it to Kael'thas… if my plan goes well, he will be able to enjoy it very soon, perhaps as early as tomorrow. What good are immortal youth and demon health if you don't abuse them?"

The Naga woman was unable to ignore Illidan's powerful desire. It forced its way into her mind, and she could think of nothing else. Nor was she able to deflect his interest as she had before at the ball with Saturna… Illidan was controlling everything. She looked helplessly out into the green-black room when he finally he eyed her.

"You failed me. I am going to punish you." Illidan stretched up into a yawn. The demonic runes on his skin glowed a rare angry jade as he briefly flexed.

"Why are you lying to all of usss? Is there no threat from Shatthtrath City?"

"Oh, there is. But you will have to kill some of your soldiers for me anyway when the raiders attack, even though there is actually nothing wrong with me. Everyone else will have to as well… Just put your most disloyal men in the front lines." He laughed at his cruel joke. "My personal charade is for Kael'thas though. There is a prophecy, yes… but their calculations were off by those two weeks. Thanks to my spies and the folly of the Shatar diviners, now _I_ have fourteen days to do as I please while the world panics. It is all just an elaborate scheme I thought up when I transformed before the ball. The Shatar may have been onto something, but they won't get very far. I can't afford for Kael'thas to fail, however. I need him as my ally... I need him as my friend." he paused. "I also learned from my men on that night that _your_ spies informed you of our secret, that I want Kael'thas to enslave me. What I want to know is, why are you trying to prevent that? Why are you plotting against your Master?"

"I am not… Kael'thas just seemed ssso lonely, and he and Saturna love each other so. Don't you want your friend to be happy?"

Illidan smiled at her innocent look. He eyed her languidly, but she wouldn't let herself forget that he was dangerous. She was not able to avoid seeing how he wanted her, and now he was also angry at her. He could snap her neck… she'd seen him lose his temper before and do it to others. But before she could draw her next breath, Illidan reached over and grabbed her jaw in his claws.

"Do you want us to fight over her, like schoolboys? Is that truly the extent of your devious plan? Is that worth betraying me? What is wrong with you!"

Lady Vashj gently raised a hand, began to stroke his fingers. Illidan wasn't falling for it though, and tightened his grip. She winced, a drop of blood seeped from between her lips.

"You have one chance, only one to explain yourself! As if giving Voren'thal the Seer that dream a year ago wasn't enough… and I was too busy feeling sorry for myself and this transformation back then to do anything about it. You fooled me into trusting you, I ignored that you sent half of my ally's forces to the enemy! All just to sate your vanity, to lower Kael'thas in my eyes? I am not that foolish half-man anymore!"

When he let go, Lady Vashj winced, and managed to, in a surprisingly ladylike way, spit two bloodied teeth into her palm.

"I do not want him to enslave you." she spoke carefully around the pain in her jaw. "Kael'thasss is not worthy enough to be your Second in Command. I am more worthy, I have ssserved Queen Azshara faithfully for years and I know what to do… it is not fair that you deposed me ssso easily!"

"Finally, you admit that you aren't a true Queen." He sounded bored, and took another drag from the hookah.

"I don't sssee why you think you even need Kael'thas. What do you want, Illidan? To feel loved and accepted by your friend absolutely, regardless of your dark worksss? To resist enslavement by your enemies? The first is a hopeless fantasy Illidan, but asss for the second…" she rubbed the side of her face, "You don't need a warlock for that. Just because you are a Demon, does not mean that you must be a ssslave to feel safe."

Illidan narrowed his eyes at her. "You sound like you are offering me an alternative."

"There is a rare kind of Naga magic I've been sssaving, but I can't apply it by myself… I can assure you that Kael'thas won't be able to decipher it. The only stipulation is, he mussst be dead first—"

Illidan slapped her.

Lady Vashj had to brace herself to keep from falling off the couch.

"If I'd used the front of my claw, you'd have no face! Dare you to plot against my friend again…" he growled. "You stay away from Kael'thas! I will deal with him and that bitch he's taken up with in my own way from now on. It's become far too delicate to fix using your petty parlor tricks."

Lady Vashj grimaced against the pain, struggled to control her fear. The effort enraged her. "I should have never told you that! How are you using my own glamoursss against me?"

The Demon Lord sidled up against her, kissed the woman's split lip. He laughed when she stopped fighting him and began to return the savage affection against her will.

"Now you're seducing me…" she angrily observed.

Illidan leaned over and grinned at her. One could see all his sharp white teeth. "I'm just playing with my new powers. The world does not revolve around you Lady Vashj, and people wanting you. Sometimes…" he hissed, "It is about getting what _I_ want."

Lady Vashj forced open her eyes. She was back in her bed. Path'raxxis the Seer snored by her side, and her consorts on a palette just beyond that. She nearly tripped as she slithered over them, to get away. She felt Illidan's dark power spark in the air around her where she finally managed to cast it off like a shroud. It sizzled and raged. She raced frantic to the door, and began to call a guard. Spiteful black magic reached her first and again enveloped her…

There was a hard impact to her spine as Lady Vashj felt herself being yanked back into that other world and slammed against the red couch. The force of it broke her back and she was forced to lie prostrate before Illidan. This was the world of dreaming, a place that Lady Vashj abused many times. She thought she had become queen of this realm with the help of her Naga Seer, the only one in the Black Temple. Somehow, Illidan had learned to use the power of dreams as well, on his own… she realized with dread that he didn't even need a lock of her hair, or for her to be asleep.

"I know all of your plan!" Lady Vashj became desperate. "I will tell Kael'thas!"

"Oh, my beautiful woman slave, and ex-Second in Command," he laughed at her. "Would you like to live out the rest of your miserable life inside this sex dream of mine? Because if you're going to be so viperous, that can certainly be arranged at any time of day after the slightest provocation from you!"

She trembled as Illidan made her say, as if she were a puppet, "I live to please you, my Lord and Savior. What is it that you wish?"

The Demon Lord huffed the malevolent green smoke out of both nostrils, and swayed a bit when he at last turned to her. It was so real for a dream, Lady Vashj wondered if he was doing the very same thing right now, in his lair: Getting high and playing mind games with her while everyone else in the Black Temple was anxious and trying to sleep before the coming battle. Illidan seemed to catch onto her thought and used his superior powers to show her exactly what he was doing in his room while he played with her mind. Lady Vashj was able to see, in this strange peripheral vision, exhausted demonnesses lying at his cloven feet. The smell of sex and blood was hardly masked by the poison Illidan breathed so easily from the hookah. He sat alone on the red couch masturbating and smoking while watching the Demon women recover from the brink of death and madness. It was such a horrifying revelation, that this torture was Illidan merely passing the time with her... still trying to get off, while he waited on them.

It was late at night now, but Illidan had clearly been busy with his mindlessly loyal harem for hours after the meeting with his generals. He let everyone else in the Black Temple think that he was sick and needed to retire for the afternoon. The Demon women in his harem were known to do exactly as Illidan said and never shared themselves nor the secrets of their master's sexual appetite with anyone. Lady Vashj was disgusted to learn what little he'd revealed to her now.

Illidan climbed ontop of her, pressed sharp black claws into her green skin to keep her pinned down, though in her state, she couldn't move even if she wanted to.

"Sex and violence. That is what I want right now. I was inspired by something late last evening and my hunger has become bigger than ever… As a full Demon, lust is curiously different for me now. Nothing has been able to sate it." Illidan smiled like a predator as he at last revealed his true excitement. "You are going to try." His long, thick forked tongue slipped out of his mouth and down into the front of her dress. "And, if you are very good at fulfilling all those years of empty promises tonight… I won't kill you, for betraying me."

"You no longer want Saturna destroyed," she shuddered. "That is the real reason why you don't want me to intervene. After last night… you lussst after her."

"She is still in my way, make no mistake about her fate if she continues to be!" He growled heatedly in response. "Just as you, Lady Vashj, have insisted on being in my way for far too long."

In her mind's eye, Illidan took the machete in hand. Their precarious friendship was finally broken. Kael'thas had risen and now she was the slave in Illidan's eyes.

Illidan reached deep into her consciousness as he sated himself, violently stripped away the tender hold she still had on reality so that she forgot it was just a dream.

Lady Vashj screamed where she lay helpless on the floor of her temple in the Lagoon. But such was the power of a full Demon Lord, that no one who came to help the Naga Queen could wake her from the mysterious malady… Not until Illidan got exactly what he wanted.

_Fuck with my plans again, Lady Vashj…and see what else happens to you._


	19. The war over Kael'thas, Part I

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Nineteen:**** The War over ****Kael'thas****, Part I of III  
**

**Illidan**** Strikes First**

In a subsequent meeting General Blaize announced that the different factions in the Black Temple would take turns battling the raiders so that the enemy would never learn any particular 'boss encounter' as he called it. To throw them off during the first week, Blaize sent Lady Vashj and her Naga to the front gates to thwart the professional soldiers before they could even enter the temple. That left the Demons and the Blood Elves with nothing to do for days at a time. Well, everyone except for Kael'thas. Everyone knew how distracted the Prince was with his General's wife.

Lord Illidan relished the monotony of ten-man raids. Only one faction of his allies need be occupied at once. It was unexpectedly relaxing. General Blaize had assured Illidan that using this strategy, the raiders could take up to a month to learn their way into the Black Temple and then, unless Illidan desired to make a guest appearance ahead of schedule, he could continue to rest and get over what Illidan had told everyone was 'a cold'. Lord Illidan decided that he liked General Blaize very much after that. Not that he felt Blaize was indispensible. It simply occurred to him that Kael'thas' General might be useful for other purposes as well.

Today, on the second day of Lady Vashj's battle, the full Demon Lord decided that merely waiting for the perfect moment to tempt Kael'thas was beneath him. That was the old Illidan, the half-man who was susceptible to the whims of fate and his enemies. Now he was an orchestrator of men's minds, a master of dream magic. Perhaps Kael'thas was a brilliant mage and would notice a manipulation of dream magic within his own mind, but others weren't as clever. With General Blaize as his muse, Illidan would create Kael'thas' perfect moment of weakness.

General Blaize was made to toss and turn in his sleep. It wasn't the raiders who upset him, which he found more unsettling. He was the sort of man who lost sleep because he was eager for the fight. He knew that he was ready and could do nothing but think of the exact victory, how he would direct this troop or that one, where the healers would stand, or the siege engines… it excited him and he wanted to bring it about, as if losing sleep would make the morning come faster.

It was the luscious body of his lost Saturna that often disrupted his rest. Her voice was rich when she moaned the name of Kael'thas. It was as if he weren't just dreaming, but was right there in the room with them. But all he could do was watch and feel tortured. Her sweet breath on his neck, the sweaty thighs that opened and then welcomed another man while he looked on, a captive. Blaize could even hear what Kael'thas felt and wanted from Saturna… Blaize realized that only a very powerful sort of magic could allow him to know another man's feelings as if hearing them through a kind of link. It was shocking how what Kael'thas felt for Saturna was so like what he had wanted from her. That was the most unfair part about his strange dreams: that it could easily have been him, that Blaize was sure he could still make Saturna happy but that comfortable future had been cruelly robbed from him. More than he wanted to strike out at Kael'thas for stealing his wife, Blaize wanted his wife to come back.

Finally, Blaize worked up the courage to see Saturna again. That night, she stood in one of his old shirts in the dark doorway of her bedroom. As usual, Blaize couldn't sleep and still wore his full red plate. He had also been reduced to wearing his hair naturally since Naga hair dye was now unavailable. General Blaize laughed nervously at the look, a flare of white streaked through his built up mass of hair at the top of his head and flowed into the red lock that rested over his shoulder.

"Good Evening, Saturna. You look lovely—"

She attempted to close the door in his face. Blaize stuck his foot into the seal.

"May I remind you that _you_ cheated on me?" he said.

"You forced me into a marriage that you knew I didn't really want. You tried to keep Kael'thas and I apart."

"I went too far. I understand that now… in fact I realized it then, but I was terrified of losing you, ontop of the family and friends I left behind in Silvermoon, my fiancée and her family…"

"You had a fiancée?"

Blaize smiled at her. "Yes. I really loved her a great deal. A very wealthy noblewoman. I was set to become master of her household. Everything was arranged… but when this damned army didn't go back home she no doubt married someone else!" he cursed Kael'thas under his breath. "But that's not why I'm here, Saturna. I wanted to tell you that I forgive you."

Saturna opened the door some more so she could lean on it. "I don't really remember apologizing to you?"

"You don't have to." His grin was a little forced. "He's the Prince of Quel'thalas, for goodness' sake! I idolized him as well, that's why I threw that wonderful life of mine away back in Silvermoon. I thought he was the Chosen One, who would lead us into a shining new destiny, and that I would receive a title for serving in the war… you might be too young to remember the many political promises Kael'thas made to encourage conscription." he waved his hand carelessly in the air. "But all in all… Kael'thas is just a man. He's a smart man, and an infuriating man, but he's nothing very special. Just a curiosity. Have you… satisfied your curiosity? I understand ladies of the court, it's hard not to resist royalty. Many an upstanding gentleman has lost his wife briefly to a Sunstrider over many thousands of years. One of my station comes to expect it."

Saturna furrowed her brow. "Are you… suggesting that I'm simply suffering from a bout of wanderlust? That I ran off after Kael'thas like some… okay, maybe I did, but I _love_ him Nate. I would never ruin a friendship like ours, or a worse a marriage, if I didn't think that I loved the person I betrayed you with."

"Aha! So you admit that it was a betrayal."

"Well yes… you're the one who called us adulterers. If I recall, neither Kael'thas nor I denied it."

Blaize tried to come into the room, but Saturna made the sliver of space between the door and the frame even smaller.

"Nothing has changed, Saturna. I can give you a life and a family. He can't."

"This is not the Court of the Sun! It took me forever to see it Kael'thas' way, but he's right. We're in the middle of a war! There are professional soldiers just outside wanting to reduce this place to spoils the moment we let our guard down. You _can't_ provide me with anything… and I don't need someone to provide for me. I can defend myself with the Corrupted Ashbringer, for goodness'sakes! I have a white blade spell that can decimate an entire army… no, I don't need you to be happy, thank you very much."

Blaize's grin turned into an ugly sneer. Saturna shivered on seeing it.

"Let me in. I never got to say good bye to you properly."

"No! You're disgusting!"

"Alright… then at least give me my shirt back."

"So I can stand here naked and you can watch?" she slammed the door in his face.

Saturna was getting into bed a few moments later when Nathaniel Blaize snatched her door back open and strode into the room.

"Get out!" she shouted, and pointed, just pointed the way he always did. He kept coming anyway.

Three solemn men appeared in the doorway behind General Blaize, wearing black plate. Fennore, Sunthraze, and Pyorin made a show of cracking their knuckles and folding their arms across their chests.

Blaize laughed uneasily. He casually backed out of the room, as if he'd done nothing wrong. He even bid the three Bloodknights good evening.

"And so that there is no mistake, Nate." Saturna said as he was leaving, "Before you forced into my room just now we were friends. At some point in our relationship, before Kael'thas began to pursue me and you snapped, we'd bonded. But not now. I can see that you don't truly respect me. Please don't bother me again, Nate. I'll be around later for you to sign the divorce certificate and end this sham marriage. Afterward, I'll have nothing more to do with you."

"Divorce?" he scoffed. "Divorce is only for gruff drunken peasant men who come home late from the tavern and beat their wives. I treated you perfectly from the moment I began to court you, and I refuse to cast the shadow of scandal on my good family name. You are the one who chose to have an affair Saturna, now you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life. Don't look to me to absolve your guilty conscience." He left.

Arguing the point any further would require Saturna to ask General Blaize back into the room. Exhaling angrily, she decided not to even give him that.

"You alright, Saturna?" Pyorin took a step into the room after Blaize stormed off.

"Yes… thanks for coming to my rescue again. This is so embarrassing. I'm starting to feel my age around you all."

"We're content to watch out for you, my Commander." Sunthraze said. The others agreed. He was also the first one to give a smart salute and wish her a good night. Saturna never forgot to lock her door again after the Blaize incident.

It's fair to say that with only the Casino available, and at that, with only so many people capable of winning gold from Darkmoon Faire card games… there were constantly people turned away from the only recreation in the Black Temple with the Naga gone. All of whom were soldiers with nothing to kill or fight. The rumors of Lord Illidan's weakness compounding this, a great deal of people went beyond restless, they started to go stir crazy. There was no news of loss or victory at the gates… raiding guilds didn't work like that. They kept trying to infiltrate the temple and resurrecting each other until they got tired and went home for the evening. Then, like some kind of slow torture, they would come back the next day at the same time with the same core people. It was maddening, as if there were a mechanical battering ram left outside the temple gates.

On the third day of Lady Vashj's campaign, the pressure even got to Prince Kael'thas.

Mages can be sneaky. Kael'thas would probably be the first person to tell you that espionage and covert operations can be handled by a good Bloodmage, not just rogues. Having already earned a womanizing reputation after the fist fight, the ball, and the blatant adultery with his General's wife, Kael'thas was a bit more sensitive to the rumors than usual. People were starting to wonder about his political strength, if he could be so easily distracted by a woman. But... why should that stand in his way if he had a certain urge in the middle of the night? So, as you can see, Kael'thas wasn't exactly thinking too clearly when he summoned fiery Skybender right in the middle of the Golden Shrine, mounted up, and flew outside through the skylight. Illidan's guards might easily see him now, so he rode for only a few moments, long enough to get directly above the Sunfury barracks courtyard in the western wing of the Black Temple. Then, he dismissed the phoenix mount, did a daring free fall for a few stories and then called on his slow fall spell to float down to the ground at the last possible moment. He couldn't stealth into the shadows, but he knew from experience that the less time spent moving slowly, the smaller the chance that people would actually see him coming. As soon as Kael'thas hit the ground--and the courtyard was thankfully empty--he did a series of rapid blink spells, expertly transporting himself through the dark Sunfury camps at the speed of light and magic. Finally, he came to the narrow corridor where Saturna and the other Bloodknights' rooms lined up on the left hand side. Kael'thas almost laughed aloud, this was so easy. Poor thing, for all his careful planning, he hadn't known about the Blaize incident the night before. There was no way to anticipate...

Just when Saturna was settling down to sleep, she heard a terrible crash against her locked door. At first she was afraid to check on it, but she heard the laughing of her men just outside.

"Kael'thas? What… are you okay?" she peeked out into the hallway.

Sunthraze had turned red. "Funniest…" he gasped for air he was laughing so hard. "Thing I ever saw… he tried to blink through your door, and slammed right into it!"

Fennore was in the process of healing their Prince, but he finally cracked up and interrupted his own healing spell. Pyorin was facing the other wall, his shoulders sagging with his barely contained laughter.

Kael'thas sat on the ground, a red mark across his forehead. Nearly the perfect impression of the wooden panels on Saturna's door.

"Oh… my poor baby," she leaned to help him up, but Kael'thas snatched his hand away.

"I'm fine! Dammit, don't you people have anything else better to do? I was attempting to be discreet… now the whole army is going to know."

"Would this be... a booty call, Kael'thas?" Sunthraze blurt out. The others started to laugh even harder.

Some lanterns turned on in the Barracks at the end of their short hallway. Saturna hurriedly helped a miffed Kael'thas inside her room, and shut the door. Then she burst out laughing too.

"Technically, an unlocked door is an open one. Few mages realize that…" he attempted to smoothly explain.

"I'm sorry, Kael'thas, I…" another bout of laughter, "you were trying to be debonair, but… Ha! Guess Demon magic can't cover up all your awkwardness, can it? HAHA!"

Kael'thas finally kissed her to make her stop. "I came here for a reason you know. I missed you tonight."

"What are you talking about? Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't want to stay the night because I always have to get up so early. I can't keep running back and forth in the mornings, besides it being a little embarrassing." she tucked a stray lock of white-blonde hair over her ear. "Besides... everyone can _see_ what we've been up to because of my little commute. We haven't got any privacy, Kael'thas."

Just beyond the door, they could hear a Sunfury watchman shush Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze. Saturna and Kael'thas listened to them stifle their chuckling, file into their room nextdoor, and then of course once the door closed they started laughing outrageously again. The problem was, the wall between their rooms didn't exactly make things private. Not for them or for Saturna.

Kael'thas rolled his eyes. "Move in with me. You've got to be tired of _that._"

"Wait, what are you asking me…"

"Riiight, I forgot the sort of obsessed woman I was talking to. Very specifically, I want you to come and sleep in my bed, every night." He grabbed her backside and pressed into her. "Make no mistake. I love you, but this is about lust and convenience. That way we won't ever have to worry about our schedules. You can get some privacy away from those chuckleheads _and _that ex-husband of yours. But of course, the best part is… we can come home to each other. How does that sound?"

Before she could answer, Kael'thas kissed her again. It was a very long, sensuous kiss. Saturna had to look away from him to hide how easily he'd disarmed her.

"Oh… okay."

"I love it when I get you all riled up, and you've got nothing left but that submissive fangirl voice." Kael'thas walked her over to the bed. "Wait, who's shirt is this?"

He could tell the owner from her embarrassment. "Oh, this won't do at all Saturna. Haven't you got anything nicer? Anything that's actually _yours_? What happened to that sexy black lingerie…"

"You kind of… tore it apart."

"I thought I saved that piece."

"Later on you destroyed it… I remember because then I thought, _Nooo__… I paid so much for that._"

He silently unbuttoned Blaize's shirt and pulled it off of her. Then, he held his arm out over the metal wastebin, set the thing on fire, and let it smoulder in the can when he was done.

"I'll have my tailors make you something…" he eyed her. "Short. Very short and black with a split down the middle."

"Don't I get a say—"

But Saturna was naked by then. Kael'thas ordered her to stop talking, and then eagerly went about getting what he came for. Saturna moaned that, whatever the result, she wished Kael'thas would 'blink by' more often.

"Oooh! Good one, Commander!" Sunthraze shouted through the walls. The guys all started laughing again.

Kael'thas squinted an eye. "You… coming home with me… right now! And I will personally send a phoenix to make sure YOU ALL RUN SO MANY LAPS AROUND THE BLACK TEMPLE!"

Over the next few days, in the quiet of the Golden Shrine, Kael'thas and Saturna were able to feel like a couple at last.

As usual, the Golden Shrine was beautiful. It was surprising just how peaceful the place could be when there was no battle being fought or phoenix conjuring going on. The mosaic on the floor dazzled in the last of the evening sunlight that poured in through the ruined dome. Kael'thas' large mahogany desk was covered with thick books on magic and papers. Several bookshelves had been lined up just beyond the desk, in a corner. They were packed tight with heavy tomes. Even more were stacked in tall piles on the floor. It seemed he never finished moving in, after the fire.

Whenever Saturna took in the large room and its scant dressings she remembered that fire. It was the fire he set for her, because he wanted her so badly. Only at that time, Kael'thas hadn't known it was love. Now it wasn't terrifying, but… oddly sweet.

His bed was the same. This time a red veil was attached to the end of an old blackened chandelier chain above to hang like a canopy over the bed. It came to the floor and served to cut the glare from the skylight, and maybe protect from the elements if winds ever got so fierce that they got in that far. It was probably rare enough though, that Kael'thas didn't bother to have someone seal up the beautiful dome. Finally, besides his desk and chair, and the many bookshelves, was a new bedside table. It was a delicate gold thing that he slyly kept set with a chilled bottle of Suntouched Special Reserve and champagne glasses. He always put a Nagrand rose in the empty gold bottles. That she knew Kael'thas couldn't steal away himself for the flowers because of Illidan made the gesture very special. The Prince of Quel'thalas pulled considerable strings on a regular basis to show her that he cared.

Saturna refused to let the champagne remind of her first date with General Blaize. This was Kael'thas' champagne, in Kael'thas' room. And she was here too. She was his. This realization pleased Saturna very much.

The freedom to indulge in each other was also something too, but it was the routine they forged that really made a difference in the end. Everyday when she arrived at the Golden Shrine, Saturna was surprised to see the Sunfury guard salute her and wordlessly open the doors without asking Kael'thas first. Now that felt good too.

As for the rest of their days together, Saturna learned that Kael'thas was normally very over-worked and really slept very little in the evenings. He had meals brought to him regularly so he could keep up his strength, and stole naps while imbetween chapters of Tempest Keep reports, meetings, or while reading magical reference books he needed to get through to resolve any problems his scientists had.

The man was truly amazing. It was a wonder he found time to court Saturna at all days earlier, or had time to plan the ball, or found the will to even… well laugh. Saturna came in late from patrol at night to find him sound asleep over one of the many thick tomes he was attempting to finish. At first she just went to sleep by herself, wishing to give him a chance to rest. But then she got tired of him waking her in the middle of the night when he finally did get around to being in the mood. Saturna started enforcing a bedtime in the Golden Shrine.

"Time to tuck you in," she would say and nudge Kael'thas awake when he slept at his desk. Then she would walk the sleepy man over to the bed, undress him… she was already undressed, and then make love to him. That always woke him up. After, they would talk and catch up on their days together before dozing off in each other's arms.

It turned out that Kael'thas was a very consistent man. He wanted to wake up the same way, morning and night. Saturna adored him for it.

A very grateful Kael'thas Sunstrider welcomed Saturna into his arms when she emerged from under the covers before sunrise on one such morning.

"You," he kissed her, "… do that sooo very well. Blaize was such an idiot to prevent you. And I speak for all men when I say that." He grinned.

Saturna laughed. "Just for you, though."

There was a definite risk when bringing General Blaize into their conversations. Saturna scooted away from Kael'thas after the awkward silence.

"Saturna… come on, this morning started so well. Let's not go down this road again."

"It's just that it's still such an annoying mess! Do you know I'm still married to him? I can't ever forget that I'm his wife, even when I'm living here, alone with you. He won't give me a divorce."

Kael'thas sat up. "He what? You asked him and he said no? How long ago was this?"

"A few days ago… I didn't want you to get mad, so I didn't say anything. This is my mess, Kael'thas. I want take care of it."

"The hell you will! This is about me. That's it! Blaize is a dead man—"

"Kael'thas! Please… _don't_ confront Blaize. The last time you two fought I was afraid one of you would kill the other. Promise me that you won't get involved."

Kael'thas sank back into the red pillows. "He's doing this on purpose, you know that right? He wants you to come crawling back to him. It's the one last thing he's lording over your head, that sham of a marriage. And you've got nothing to feel guilty about."

"Kael'thas… I made a promise to Blaize. Regardless of the circumstances, I broke that promise, I… I can't believe I laughed at him when I did it. At some point, before he snapped, we were very close. We were friends, I used to confide in him. I don't blame him for being angry. I would feel betrayed as well."

"If I were you, I'd do what Jaina did to me, however many years ago it was… conjure some water, throw it in my face and then storm out of the room. You'd better believe I got the hint after that." He looked distant for a moment, "That water was so very _cold…_"

Saturna couldn't help it. She started laughing.

"Oh, so you think it's funny too, do you?"

"What did you ever see in her?" she giggled. "I mean, sure, she's a beautiful blonde, rumored to be the most powerful mage in existence, but she also sounds so pretentious and cruel, to make a man crawl through fire like that to be with her…"

Kael'thas just glared at Saturna.

"Oh. I guess… we're a lot alike, aren't we?"

"Hardly." He turned his back on her and pulled the covers up over his face. She giggled and pulled them back off. "Fine! You caught me. So I have a type." He shrugged. "But you're a lot nicer than she is, and genuine. And… far sexier." He nuzzled into Saturna's neck.

"Yep, and I didn't reject your creepy warlock advances. Is that what happened? Did you set her room on fire, and bite her too?"

Kael'thas told Saturna it was Jaina's hair not her room, besides being an innocent accident. Five whole minutes of relentless laughter later, and Kael'thas kicked Saturna out of his bed.

The woman Bloodknight was breathless the whole time she got dressed for the day, and one could even hear her giggling beyond the doors out in the Main Causeway.

"Have a good morning, sweetheart," she called after.

"You're lucky I love you!" Kael'thas responded and then sank down under the sheets, pouting.

As he brooded about his mortifyingly inadequate love life before coming to Outland, Kael'thas mumbled to himself. "Can't believe I waited the entire minute for her to conjure that water when I knew what was coming, I must have been so desperate back then… damned Arthas! I was only a fellow mage, only brilliant and talented… what could she possibly find lacking?"

His mood lightened as he thought about the powerful Bloodknight he was now with. He'd gone toe to toe with another Arthas-like person. Blaize hadn't been a prince of course, but he was another blue-blooded gentleman who was a lot closer to offering Saturna anything than he ever could. Even if they were in the middle of a war… many people respected Blaize. Many of the Sunfury liked him more than their own prince, which Kael'thas realized was dangerous. He couldn't do anything about it though.

In addition, he still worried about what Saturna had said at the ball… what would happen to them if they did get closer over the years? Could he marry her? What would people expect from the two of them? What if they had children together? Would someone walk up to his son or daughter some day and demand that they go back to Silvermoon City and sit on the throne? He chewed his thumbnail as he thought. Kael'thas realized that he was beginning to sound like Saturna, who was obsessed him... but her concerns weren't so far off. At the least, Blaize had offered her stable companionship. Kael'thas felt he could barely manage that for her, with his new busy schedule as Second in Command to the Lord of Outland. Speaking of which, he was running late for one of his many meetings already this morning…

_As long as __Blaize__ lives, he will be competition…_

Kael'thas sat up when he heard Illidan return to this thoughts.

"Illidan?"

Suddenly the Demon Lord was standing there before him, in the flesh.

Kael'thas would have hopped right out of bed from fright if he weren't naked.

"How in the… I didn't summon you? At least I don't think that I did?"

Illidan began a bout of coughing. "Oh, you didn't? That's strange… the Soul Link must be acting up again. But it's no matter. You need me don't you? I could feel you loathing your General again. He makes you uncomfortable, doesn't he? He is surely a threat to your power and happiness. I shall kill him for you."

"No…" Was all Kael'thas could say. This was happening too fast. Illidan should not have been able to appear on his own. That could only mean he summoned himself…

"Then I will give you the power to do it." Illidan grinned at him. He wiped a hand across his brow and went to sit down on the edge of Kael'thas' desk. Head bowed and shoulders hunched, he looked especially weak.

"General Asshat is well on the way to screwing himself over. No thanks." Kael'thas grunted.

Illidan really laughed at that. "What a brilliant name you've chosen for him!"

Kael'thas liked how Illidan laughed at his jokes. Saturna disliked that particular one. Sometimes she really was too much of a nice girl.

"Why thank you, my friend. You know… my father taught me to spot users from a mile away. It's a shame that it took Blaize pursuing Saturna for me to see that man is a cad, a rake… you know the type. They marry a woman for her money or security… and then leave when the fun is over. I don't have any proof besides this situation, but I bet that if I paid someone to do research…"

"That is the old Kael'thas, who reads books and dreams of revenge but never takes it for himself. You forget that he married your woman. You did not steal Saturna from him, but he stole her from you. You never even punished him for it. I saw you at the wedding. He broke your heart. No one should break _my _friend's heart."

"That's all in the past."

"Is it? No. You are still suffering from it. He won't give Saturna a divorce. How can she love you, completely, with the guilt of adultery on her shoulders? I can assure you that such an arrangement is impossible. I know from experience."

"But Tyrande and you never—"

Illidan snarled at him and said it again, very slowly: "I know from _experience_."

Kael'thas decided not to push the issue. "Do you really think… it could become a problem? She wanted to handle it herself."

"That is exactly what Blaize wants. And you've foolishly walked into his trap, yet again." Then Illidan said under his breath. "A cuckhold… that is what you are."

Kael'thas got up and got dressed. "Illidan… that's just not true."

"Because you hope it isn't? Or because you refuse to see the truth? As long as that man lives, he will be a thorn in your side." He snorted as he laughed. "And it would be such a pathetic loss… to a man like that, with his hair gone white? And he's getting fat you know."

Kael'thas smiled. "Yes, I told Saturna that too. She hated hearing it."

"But _you_, Kael'thas," Illidan began to pace around while Kael'thas went to gather papers on his desk, "You are young and strong… the power of a warlock in one hand and a mage in the other… and I've seen what you can do with that. Like that time in Nagrand, when you sent blue flame to burn your enemies, even their spells…"

Kael'thas stopped what he was doing. "Ah… so you… felt that?"

Back to him, Illidan smirked. "Oh, Kael'thas. When you use power, the world feels it! Did you know that people saw it even from the ground? Rumors abound in Shatthrath City, my spies told me. Very impressive."

Kael'thas dragged his finger around in circles over the fabric cover of a book on his desk. "Really? What are they saying… it can't be anything _that_ nice."

Illidan took his time turning around. "They fear you, but they are also awestruck. Mages are asking themselves how it was done. Even the Scryers are jealous… someone even…" he shook his head. "No, I shouldn't really tell you, it's too much."

Kael'thas came and stood next to his friend. "No… you can tell me. It's been a while since we've done this, you know, shooting the breeze about Shit-wrath City and the Shit-tar?"

Kael'thas and Illidan laughed together at their old joke.

"Well, they say that some Aldor Initiate got drunk tried it right in the middle of the World's End Tavern… seared nearly everyone there in half, even the barkeeper."

"Ha!" Kael'thas had to cover his mouth.

"But then there was this very drunken Ogre, way in the back…"

"Oh, that is always the start of a good story."

"Broke the poor Draenei bastard in half. So, you see, they were able to copy your skill, but that technology was fast lost."

"Eaten by a bigger fish. Circle of life you know," Kael'thas grinned. "If those Ogres had stayed allied with us, that Aldor could have been saved from being bent in half."

Illidan raised an eyebrow. "Really? How so?"

"Well, that would make him bent over again, in fourths… get it?"

It was really very corny, but it made Illidan slip into a warm smile. "I'll tell all of Outland to watch out for you, Kael'thas Sunstrider. The day you stepped out of the libraries of Dalaran and into the sun was the day the world learned to fear the wrath of pencil-necked bookworms."

"Hey!" he chuckled.

Illidan went back to sit on the desk, looking a little tired. "You wanna' give them something else to talk about, old friend?"

Kael'thas knew where Illidan was going with this. They'd done this many times before. He smiled a bit and scratched his head. "I… I can't take any more of your powers, really. It might be fun but… I'm clean now, and I promised Saturna."

"Oh, yes, the Lady Whiteblade. A delightful thing she is. I certainly wouldn't want to upset her either. Not when the sex is that good."

"What?"

"Kael'thas, don't look at me like that. You've only been bragging to everyone about it. The whole temple is gossiping about you two together."

He flushed a little. "Yeah… she's amazing."

"Don't you want to impress her? It's very easy to do."

"Oh, I don't know… I really shouldn't."

"Come on, it'll be fun, just like that time when we first got to Outland and were closing Burning Legion Portals… Remember, I dared you to close one on Voren'thaal the Seer? His face turned so red… half of him in Outland, the other half in the Nether? Ha! You know what though, on hindsight… perhaps we did abuse your soldiers a bit much." He and Kael'thas laughed for a good while over the memory. "Well, it will be different this time Kael'thas. No one's going to run away to Shitwrath City and become a Scryer. Besides, the demon magic will wear off in a few hours."

"It will? Really?"

"Yes! What do you think, that I'm out to get you? Besides, with the transformation and all I can't really give you anything permanent. And we don't really want Saturna to find out. You know, Kael'thas, it's been a long time since we've acted like friends… there's been too much war, and messy politics. Here,"

Kael'thas chewed his thumbnail as he looked at the dark clawed hand Illidan offered. "I could… maybe… burn some things, do you think? That might be fun."

"Yes, a man named Blaize… It would be a very ironic and amusing death—"

"I'm not going to _kill_ him Illidan… just scare him. So bad that he gives Saturna a divorce and then shuts up about what I did." Kael'thas got a devious look.

"Alright, that's fine too. But to be honest, my friend, if it doesn't work and he still refuses to divorce her, a widow is also free woman. Saturna will be relieved, you'll see. She'll be impressed. She will beg you to tell her how you did it, but you won't. She'll end up thanking you for it… begging you, and thanking you, Kael'thas."

Illidan said the last part in demonic so that Kael'thas couldn't miss the sort of reception he was suggesting.

"That woman is obsessed with you." The Demon Lord went on. "You can do whatever you want and get away with it. Just like you are really the Lord of Outland right now, because of my condition… and you still have your woman."

Kael'thas finally gave in and clapped hands with the Demon Lord. They stood together over the golden starburst mosaic. One could feel the sparking of magic where the lei lines converged. Kael'thas didn't see how Illidan left the desk and suddenly appeared at his side so fast. Then as he had before, during the fistfight with General Blaize, all it took was for Kael'thas to lend Illidan his intent… and because the Demon was his friend, he willingly gave of himself to enhance that vision.

When done in this way, touching hands rather than minds, the rush was an exceptional high. Each elf man looked into the other's eyes. Both blazed with sparking green power, their fists were clasped so tight together, the ligaments in the hands tensed over the knuckles. It looked like they could have been arm wrestling.

Kael'thas inhaled sharply, began to pull away…

"No, Kael'thas. Take a bit more this time… I insist."

He held on until a black jolt of power leapt up from Illidan's forearm like lightning and licked over their fists. It went into Kael'thas' arm, turned a blue vein on the inside of his wrist black.

"Now, complete the ritual... open your wrist," Illidan was saying.

Kael'thas didn't hear him though. He was focused on the black vein in his wrist. He laughed like mad when he saw it. Illidan didn't want to, but had to let go when Kael'thas pulled his hand away. Enslaving a Demon had to be done with both parties willing.

"Fire… I'll incinerate him!" Kael'thas cheered. "No… no, I want to _be_ fire, I want to let it out at last, to truly burn…" he started talking nonsense but then Blood Elf Prince's intentions became clear soon enough. In full red regalia, down to the jagged black shoulderguards and swirling green family marks, Kael'thas raised his arm and called up a column of flame around his feet. It roared and consumed him, but never went out. He grinned wickedly, and took slow angry steps to the door. His footprints left black burn marks on the white tiled floor.

Illidan gave a smile that was a shocking mirror of his friend's and disappeared.

The Sunfury guards just outside the door startled, but Kael'thas was eerily calm… they convinced themselves that there was no emergency. But it was impossible to just ignore that their sovereign was on fire! He walked in flames but did not burn.

A rumor spread fast that the enflamed Kael'thas headed West, to the Sunfury Barracks.

General Nathaniel Blaize leaned over the side of the roof of the Black Temple. Stone molding that resembled a forest of faded white Elekk tusks helped shield him from the battle the Naga were fighting with the raiders down below. He rested his chin on his naked knuckles, watching.

Blaize watched the raiders because it was an excellent excuse to be alone in the middle of the day, and because he no longer wanted to think about Saturna so much. The sound of many footsteps startled Blaize, and he quickly turned around.

"What's the matter, have the raiders got through the gates?" he swiftly asked, and went to get his sword.

"No. Keep standing right there."

Blaize gasped when he saw Kael'thas. At first he thought he was imagining things… his Prince certainly looked angry enough to have caught on fire. But the shocked expressions of the Sunfury soldiers who'd followed their sovereign to the roof confirmed that the Blood Elf Prince was, in fact, burning.

"How are you doing that? What is the meaning of this?"

Kael'thas took a step toward his General and made fists at his sides. Blaize saw how the ground singed and burned. He backed into the odd curling tusks at the roof's edge.

"Blaize… yes that _is_ delightfully ironic."

Blaize went for his sword. Kael'thas had a hand around his throat even faster. Kael'thas sneered at him and lifted Blaize off his feet, over the roof edge. The Sunfury soldiers behind Kael'thas worried aloud. Blaize was so terrified, he could no longer speak. His feet dangled as he struggled for air, for freedom.

"Give Saturna a divorce."

Blaize was past fear… his mind reeled back into instinct. All he wanted to do was get free, to breathe again.

"I told you that I was going to kill you," Kael'thas smiled wider, "for lying to her and forcing her, and then TAKING HER AWAY FROM ME!"

Blaize winced. At last he began to cry.

Kael'thas let the flames flicker over his hand. It was clear that Blaize was not burning because Kael'thas could control the fire. He had not chosen to make the man burn... yet. The heat of the flame evaporated the very tears that fell onto Kael'thas' fingers. "Your tears are a waste. They don't make me feel guilty for doing this to you. They make me want to drop you over the side and see more. I want to watch the red meat of your body explode when you fall, see the white of your skull, your bones! For betraying me! If you will not give her up, then I will happily take your widow!"

Blaize finally spoke. "I'm… just a man." He shuddered.

Behind Kael'thas a Sunfury soldier whispered, "By the Sun… he truly has become evil…"

The hate that contorted Kael'thas' face eased.

_Do it, __Kael'thas__. You've earned it. Let the pieces fall where they may… After, I will make you so strong that no one will be able to oppose you. Their feelings won't matter._

Kael'thas didn't get the chance to consider whether or not it was right or wrong to kill this man out of spite. Just as he stepped onto the ledge and held Blaize into the naked air… Blaize wet his pants.

It was amusing… but also very, very sad and gross. Kael'thas had to stop. He put the other man back down.

General Blaize went on hands and knees, shaking. Kael'thas backed away, and his soldiers pushed each other to keep from touching their Prince. Kael'thas watched them rush to Blaize's side, and wrap arms around him. He watched them worry over him through the intense orange haze of his flame.

Why did they never ask him if he was alright? Why did they respect his General more?

_Because you are weak! You fool! FINISH HIM!_

Kael'thas woodenly made his way back down the dark stairs and inside, "No Illidan. It is because he is not a monster, like I am."

Saturna came back home early that day because she heard a rumor that a courier from Tempest Keep had waltzed smartly down the Main Causeway, a long white box in hand, and was admitted into the Golden Shrine to set 'the gift for the Lady in a place where she would see it.'

Saturna already knew what it was. The black silk ribbon was clearly leftovers from the bolt it had been made from. Alone in the Golden Shrine, she put on the black lingerie Kael'thas had ordered for her. It looked exactly as he insisted it would, so short that it was impractical to even walk in, let alone stand in, with a split down the middle.

Saturna laughed evilly when she heard Kael'thas coming and stood directly on the center of the gold mosaic, at the convergence of lei lines. She felt a rush of powerful magic shoot up her legs, between her thighs… making love to Kael'thas on this spot had been a secret fantasy of hers since the day he conjured the phoenix. But she had an even bigger desire: to turn the man completely into mush, the way he'd done to her many times.

The doors flew open and slammed on either side of the stone walls. A furious Kael'thas Sunstrider stomped into the room swearing loudly.

"Now I can't even think straight!" he said. "I can't do any damn thing at all until I get this magic out of my system… she's going to kill me." Then, he saw Saturna.

She smiled at him. She was in awe of his look. "I don't know how you did that… but I like it very much."

The Sunfury Guards went wide-eyed when they saw Saturna and one of the four with better common sense admonished the others to close the doors.

Kael'thas looked at Saturna for a very long time, quiet.

"They just brought it over from Tempest Keep… I can tell that you like it." She bent down and pretended to stretch. He could see everything. "Come on now, don't be shy, Kael'thas. Fire, magic… what was the other ingredient? Blood? Well…" she blushed. "Maybe I'll even let you bite me… just a little bit."

This time Kael'thas blinked over to her, and didn't miss. He kissed Saturna hungrily, pushed a red gloved hand up her thighs. The little skirt just barely covered her backside. When he groped her, the silk was pushed halfway up her back, it was so short. He held her tight as the demon magic surged up inside of him. It pushed underneath his skin, felt like it would make him burst. He moaned loudly when he thought more about the sex than the magic and it unexpectedly raced from his itchy palms to somewhere else. Saturna was so near to him, she felt it too. She tried to leap onto him and they almost had sex through the fabric.

Kael'thas unhooked the dark cape and royal shoulder guards, and placed them around her shoulders. It was disrespectful to do to them what he was about to do to the rest of his clothing. For a moment Saturna looked like the Queen of Quel'thalas, except that her version of the cape would have been smaller.

Kael'thas pushed Saturna down onto the floor so that she would be safe and then raised both arms over his head. He set all his clothing on fire. The magical robes burned away into nothing but a haze of red smoke. He'd undressed himself in seconds.

"Nice trick." Saturna was impressed where she lay at his feet, on the cape.

"So you like to see me work magic do you?" He lay ontop of her. "I'll give you more than you can stand."

Kael'thas engulfed both of them in magical red flame that was beautiful, loud, and hot, but did not burn. It flared up whenever he thrust into her, lashed out horizontally across the floor in tune with his excitement. Saturna writhed and smiled through all the red. Just over her head, the three green magical orbs, the royal insignia danced and flared. Both their green eyes glowed brighter as well as they indulged in each other and the intoxicating flow of magic beneath them.

Kael'thas kissed her hard on the neck, started to bite her… Saturna gasped, and he struggled to hold back. In his state he was tempted to tear her flesh. Kael'thas trembled like an addict. He forgot about enjoying her pain when Saturna unexpectedly bit him back. His own torture… it was excellent.

"You're a Bloodknight," he breathed rapidly. "Judge me."

Saturna laughed a little. "But that's so weird…"

"Do it! Please, I want you to punish me! Someone should…" he begged her.

"Only if you conjure a phoenix for me."

Kael'thas let her know with his body that they had a deal.

Saturna called up a flickering red Seal of Blood spell. It hurt her to do it, and Kael'thas relished it. Then, as he thrust into her a final time, she raised her hands above her head and unleashed the full power of it onto him. The golden magic of the Light seared Kael'thas and he arched his back. Saturna winced because that sort of spell always hurt the Bloodknight too.

Next came his loud, excited orgasm. The demon magic was finally expended.

A few moments later and Kael'thas was on his feet again, conjuring a phoenix. Saturna lay between his legs on the floor. She tried to stand a little while ago, but felt weak. That amused Kael'thas and he encouraged her to stay down in the tantalizing submissive position.

More calm now, Kael'thas took his time summoning the largest phoenix spell he could manage.

"If you drain all your mana…"

"I bet that I can get you off while you watch me do this." He grinned evilly at her. "You love me, you're obsessed with me. I know that I can, Saturna, without even touching you."

The entire ceiling above them was fiery maelstrom. Saturna whimpered. "Yep, you definitely could. Ungh…" she reached arms up to him all of a sudden, a heady smile on her face. "Oh... that's not fair at all...You were right." She admitted at last. Kael'thas finally let go of the monstrous fire bird and lay down beside her on his cape.

They watched the phoenix roar and caw like an eagle. The voice was also edged in music, the way that Skybender chimed.

Saturna turned to him and breathed, "You are the very same. So perfectly strong… so beautiful…"

Kael'thas kissed her. They looked up again and the bird had flown out into the late afternoon sky through the ruined dome.

"Not free though." He observed. It was hard not to feel a bit jealous over that.

Saturna brought him back to the happy moment. They caressed and made love on the lei line many more times and ignored their responsibilities for the day. Advisor Sorn did not come knocking this time, which was a relief. Kael'thas made a joke about them not even needing to get dressed or leave the room for dinner because he was a mage. He conjured sweet rolls and water for them, that Saturna almost choked on because she was laughing so hard.

When it got dark, they walked back to the bed, snuggled together under the covers and fell into a deep sleep.

Saturna was late coming home the next evening. Kael'thas was back to normal, dozing over a half-finished Tempest Keep report when she did get in.

The Bloodknight put her hands on her hips and stared at him a long time, then leaned down and yanked on his long ear.

"Hey!" she yelled directly into his ear. "Wake up!"

Kael'thas almost fell out of his chair, he was so startled. The bound report didn't make it though, it fell onto the white floor between Saturna's feet. She didn't bother picking it up.

"Saturna?" he rubbed his ear. "What is wrong with you, waking me up like that?"

She slammed both gauntleted hands down on the mahogany desk and got in his face. "The next time that you decide to get high with your friend Illidan on demon magic, then go on a murderous rampage, fail there, and then come home to get your jollies on me, you _will_ be short one fangirl! Got it?"

Kael'thas sank back into his chair. "Oh no…"

"Oh no? Is that all you have to say? Do you know how I feel? Do you know what it feels like, to be used like that? And poor Blaize…"

"Poor who? I know you're not talking about General Asshat—"

"I am talking about a mortal person! A selfish, inconsiderate mortal person who did nothing but step on your toes… and you attempt to _kill_ him? Kill him, really, Kael'thas! Do you know… Please tell me that you understand how wrong that is, to attempt to murder another person, over me… over anything at all that isn't a war! And we are in the middle of a war with real enemies! You need your General. Why the rest of the Sunfury haven't defected since last night is nothing short of a miracle." She slammed her open palms into the desk again. The metal of her black gauntlets chipped the perfect polished wood.

Kael'thas stammered. "I… I don't know what came over me. Wait a minute, how did you even know?"

"Everyone knows, and beyond that it is my job to know, so don't change the subject!" Saturna calmed herself. "Sweetheart, you relapsed. That is what you did yesterday. You can't let Illidan get you like that again…"

"It is _not_ his fault. I could have said no."

"But you didn't. If he was your friend, then he would have never tried to suck you back into that old habit. It isn't right. I would never do to you what you did to me." She knelt before the desk and folded her arms and the desktop, underneath her chin. "Do you see the difference? Please tell me that you finally understand what he is doing to you."

Kael'thas looked down at his hands. "We should be making love right now, telling each other about our days… I messed all of that up, didn't I?"

"Admit that you have a problem."

He instantly began to deny it.

"You are addicted to Illidan. Say it. I'll even make it easy on you… I'll go first: I, Saturna Whiteblade, admit that I am fully and completely obsessed with you, in a very unhealthy and unladylike way."

Kael'thas began shaking his head. "Maybe you were right all along, and you should just stay away from me… to keep from having to deal with my… this brokenness."

Saturna came around the desk and sat in his lap. "My love, you are just a man. You are not perfect, and loving you does not hurt me. Maybe because your friend Illidan is half of a man, and half of a Demon… he doesn't realize that he pushes you too far sometimes. Couldn't that be it? But you have to be stronger than that. You have to resist."

"I don't think that I can."

"Then you can't afford to be around him at all. Because between the demon magic and his relentless leading you astray, he _will_ kill you."

She held him so tenderly, Kael'thas wondered if he merely imagined that she said it, that Illidan could kill him.

"I must… resist him then."

"It saddens me that you agree with my grim observation regarding your friend… but yet it doesn't surprise you."

Kael'thas said nothing.

"Oh, Kael'thas! I'm sorry that I—"

He put a finger over her lips. "No, don't. I deserved to get yelled at. Don't go fangirl on me now, when I need discipline." He smiled a little. "But I do owe you an apology, and… General Blaize. I can't believe that I almost… I'd have to live with that for the rest of my life, killing my own General, over you." He raised his blonde eyebrows. "That would make me a murderer in the worst possible way. And, I could have lost you over that."

"Yes, you would have. That's where the line is…" she trailed off, and looked away. "Though, he's not my friend anymore. Nor do I suggest going anywhere near him if you can avoid it. Blaize is pretty shaken up right now. I think he'll recover though."

"I'll be lucky if he doesn't try to kill _me_ after what I did. That was unacceptable… and I'm sure he hates me now."

Saturna laughed, truly laughed. "Did you really think he didn't hate you already?" She got up from his lap and he followed her around the desk. He frowned when she didn't go to the bed.

"Not that I expect anything… not after the way I acted yesterday." He cleared his throat nervously. "But where are you going?"

Saturna put her hand on the doorknob. "I have a meeting, believe it or not." She shrugged.

"May I ask what idiot told my girlfriend to meet them during the Prince's coveted personal time? There are enough rumors in this temple that everyone knows what we do and when." He leaned on the desk and angrily crossed his arms.

Saturna smiled. "Goodnight, Kael'thas. And you can apologize for calling your girlfriend—I'm glad you like me so much by the way—an idiot later."

He winced. "Ontop of everything else… I truly am in the doghouse now, aren't I?"

As Saturna slipped through the large doors she said, "Good boy, Kael'thas."

It took him a few moments to realize it was an insult. Kael'thas laughed lightly and sat back down to work. He'd survived this day by the skin of his teeth. No woman in her right mind should have put up with Kael'thas practically becoming a villainous Lord of Outland or murdering her ex-husband and once friend… He came to the conclusion that he really didn't deserve Saturna. She was a better person than he was, especially when Blaize wronged her personally, deeply… she could still see the difference between right and wrong. Well, he'd known it too but boldly ignored it.

_Cuckold. _Illidan sniped at him through the Soul Link.

_You want me to be a lonely bachelor forever just like you've been__ for thousands of years__, don't you? I am keeping that woman, __Illidan__, even if you don't like it._

Kael'thas did not mistake the emotion he got next, that Illidan loathed the idea.

_Anyways, s__hou__ldn't you be resting by now__? I thought you said you were sick?_

A fit of coughing came through the link at that moment. The bond between their souls became distorted and eventually fizzled out.

Kael'thas furrowed his brow in irritation. "That man needs a girlfriend."

In his lair, Illidan brooded about the day's events. Most of the first week had been wasted, but he would certainly make tomorrow count before Kael'thas and his Sunfury were sent away to the front gates.

Meanwhile, an alarmed Saturna Whiteblade donned a dark hooded cloak and rode a nondescript red Hawkstrider out of a side entrance to the Black Temple and into the darkness. She passed through the pale ruins just beyond the temple proper and finally came to a black dirt wasteland. Strange blue crystals jutted out of the ground here and there. Agitated rockflayers hissed and brandished hooked claws as she passed. She called the Crusader's Aura to speed up her mount while she looked for the others.

Only a full Knight of the Blood Nexus would know where to go on a night like this, and why.

She dismounted a few yards off, tied up her Hawkstrider and walked to where Pyorin and Sunthraze stood arguing in hushed tones wearing similar cloaks. There was no campfire, just the two men standing before a ruined wall. One could easily walk right ontop of them this night without even knowing it.

"You've been keeping an eye on things just like I have. He must be killed, Brother Sly. There is no other way—" Pyorin was saying when a few paces away, Saturna's footfalls became audible. They hushed each other and perked up like blind men realizing someone was nearby at last.

"Mother Whiteblade." They nodded their heads in greeting.

Saturna tried to control her anger. "Who must die? What were you all talking about before I got here? I'm the one meant to start these meetings."

One could just barely see Sunthraze look away, ashamed. Saturna felt Pyorin's hot glare.

"He is no different from Arthas at this point. What happened to General Blaize today should have made it more than obvious to you now. I don't like it, but the fate of Quel'thalas hangs in the balance if we continue to wait and see what Kael'thas will do. Mother Whiteblade, we know what he is about now. He is the sort who would kill his own man, a Sunfury official on a whim. That is the very same kind of murderer who once killed his own father and then _our_ king… And why stop there? Lorth'remar, Rommath, Halduron, Lady Liadrin… Maybe you or I if the mood strikes him--"

"Stop it! What has gotten into you?" Saturna panicked. "We had this conversation five months ago, when we first got here. I told you after the intervention when I got Kael'thas off the arcane crystals, that he's just a bit broken-hearted. And then after Nagrand, I further explained that he isn't Illidan's master, not some power-crazed warlock. It's his secret weakness… But really, he's just a man like anyone else, a beautiful and complicated man who—"

"We had proof of the first one. Kael'thas clearly doesn't abuse arcane crystals anymore. But you never gave us ANYTHING to go on after Nagrand, just good faith!" She'd never seen Pyorin this angry before. "But now because you're sleeping with him, he can do no wrong? You've been lying to us, Mother Whiteblade! And you know what happens when there is deceit in the Blood Nexus."

Sunthraze kept his agitated voice low as a reminder. "Mother Whiteblade, I know that I was just initiated, unlike Brother Tank, but don't you think it's better to do it here in the quiet obscurity of Outland rather than later on in front of everyone in Silvermoon? Kael'thas has not officially refused the throne. He could still come back and rule over us at any moment. When Kael'thas returns home he could reduce Silvermoon to ash, or worse, enslave our people the way he's done out here with the Sunfury. We'd be no better than the throngs of Undead serving the Scourge under the Lich King. Whether it's some plague that enforces a spell of mindless subjugation on people, or the spell of ignorance and convenient lies that binds all Blood Elves to his will, Kael'thas is no better than that dark master who destroyed our home and our Sunwell. We have to face the truth, complete the mission Lady Liadrin set before us… The rumors are true and Kael'thas is unworthy. He is the greatest enemy to Quel'thalas, not its lost champion. We saw it for ourselves back in Shattrath City, but that wasn't enough for you. We had to come here and meet Kael'thas ourselves. He isn't subjugating lesser races in Outland to benefit the Blood Elves, and that was narrowly acceptable in the first place. He's torturing everyone, including our people to satisfy his lust for destruction. Maybe Kael'thas didn't start out that way, but the man who rallied us together after King Anasterian died has become a monster."

Saturna's breath came rapidly. She wished for the world that Pyorin and Sunthraze were just joking, the way they always joked around. And Fennore, he was supposed to be the fourth one, Sunthraze's protégé. Their tiny group was growing, Lady Liadrin's vision of an elect society of Bloodknights finally becoming real. It was the reason she had been made a Bloodknight in the first place, to be able to pass the white blade spell onto worthy others. What would Fennore think if she… he wouldn't understand what she was now being forced to do, they hadn't told him yet… it was so dangerous, this well-kept secret.

Maybe she had been wrong to allow these men to feel like her family. Not when their laws demanded blood be shed when someone took their exceptional powers of the Light and used them selfishly, for evil.

And for Bloodknights to kill Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider… she believed in her heart that was unspeakable evil.

Saturna spread her feet apart and drew her sword. "This breaks my heart, but you know what happens if there is not consensus among us." She felt salty tears slide into her mouth as she spoke.

Sunthraze removed his gauntlet and revealed his white hand. Pyorin lowered his shield and spoke on their behalf. "And you, Mother Whiteblade, surely understand that I am next in line after you… if you are willing to go this far I will have to act in the interest of the entire Nexus. And then, as Father Tank, Brother Sly and Brother Immortal—once we recruit him—will aid me in doing what is right for our country, what Lady Liadrin warned us we might have to do in the first place. We are happy that you've found love, we are… but surely you knew there were risks! I am begging you… _Saturna_ this is your last chance to think with your head and not your loins…"

"I am thinking with my heart! I love him, I won't let you do this!"

Sunthraze was the last to draw a weapon on her. He held his Blackened Spear at the ready in his other hand, then said carefully, "Where we stand, one must not decide between the mind and the heart. The truth is more clear today than it ever was, Mother Whiteblade. Don't force our hand."

Saturna raised her sword between them and turned it white. "I'm asking you one last time to trust me. I can't tell you everything that Kael'thas suffers… he's confided in me, and it's too dangerous for anyone else to know. I'm sorry that I have to keep this secret from you. But if you knew the truth about he and Illidan… Kael'thas must be free to make his own decision! He hasn't made it yet, today was something else entirely!"

Sunthraze brandished his naked glowing white hand. "Have you ever considered what might happen… if I were to catch your white blade spell in a hand made of pure Light?" his tone was cold, menacing. "And then, I could do whatever I wanted with it."

"I can protect myself in the same way." Pyorin said next. "What he knows, I know."

"But neither of you know how to use the white blade. I was never able pass it on to anyone!"

Pyorin smiled grimly. "That is the whole point of the Blood Nexus Saturna. Not even you can abuse your powers… thanks to this ritual of sharing, we can defeat you without it."

Then with terrible resolve, Pyorin threw his head back, and she felt him call on that powerful taunt. The magical essence of the Light within her, the same essence of life that was in every creature, forced her onto him. Before she was ready, before she could even plan her attack, she was being forced to fight. As Saturna stuggled against Pyorin's unique Light spell to call on her protective shield, she felt Sunthraze using the same taunt on her next. They would hobble her completely, have her darting imbetween them like a yo-yo while they beat her bloody.

Such was the fate of a truly talented Bloodknight. The Blood Nexus found you, and then they owned you and your talent for the safety of everyone else who lived in this realm and beyond. Besides the Thalassian charger and other innovations, it was Lady Liadrin's latest brainchild.

Saturna's final thought as Pyorin raised his red and green flickering Suneater sword overhead was how it had all come to this? She knew that being a Bloodknight was pain, often close to madness for accepting that as your life… but who had turned her friends against her? Just yesterday, everything seemed fine. Until this moment these men surely loved her like brothers. They were content to accept her explanations with compassion and patience.

This could not be real. Saturna prayed that it wasn't, she hoped against reason that someone pulled on their wills like a puppetmaster. She never wanted to call Pyorin and Sunthraze her murderers... that punishment for betrayal in the Blood Nexus was supposed to be an extreme, a last resort.

Saturna parried Pyorin's attack and reeled back, ready to slash her white blade directly through his shield.

Nor did she wish to be the one the other Nexites said murdered her own brothers.


	20. The War over Kael'thas, Part II

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty: The War over ****Kael'thas****, Part II of III  
**

**Saturna**** Strikes Back**

Saturna's white blade sliced easily through Pyorin's elaborate shield. It might as well have been paper. She hesitated when she could have continued the swing and taken off his arm. Sunthraze was less merciful.

He called on the Light Taunt and Saturna felt all her anger, all her focus redirected on the red-headed Bloodknight. Her feet were made to race to where he stood near the road. He crouched low with his polearm at the ready, a Seal of Blood spell so red that it looked like Sunthraze stood in a column of the deadly Bloodknight magic. And he would use it on her.

"For Quel'thalas!" was his desperate warcry.

How had she become the enemy of her country so fast? And as soon as she fell, they would surprise Kael'thas and finish him. It would be easy because he trusted them. No, Bloodknights were not paladins. A paladin would never turn on his fellow, like wolves when the Alpha fell out of favor. And beneath it all… It was not reverence for the Light they mastered, but a bloodlust. A desire to kill everything that ever hurt you or your people, out of revenge. The Blood Nexus was comprised of the very best of these sorts of people.

"For Kael'thas." Saturna told Sunthraze when she was ontop of him. She ducked his attack and brought the White Blade around. She threw her body into the momentum of the blade, twirling gracefully in the air. She became as white as her spell, ready to release it…

Sunthraze raised his Hand of Light at once.

A twin of her sword, made of nothing but white light paused and sparkled midair, where Sunthraze caught it. All three Bloodknights looked up at the White Blade spell in wonder and horror… they waited for it to expand like it had on the front file of Scryers, ignite the man's hand, but it didn't. Mesmerized like the rest, Pyorin came over to see.

Fennore sat in the road atop his Thalassian charger, watching as well from the road. He quietly got down and led his war horse over. Saturna, Pyorin, and Sunthraze didn't even know he was with them until he spoke.

"I found out right away that the reason you all disappeared so suddenly was because you didn't want me to come." Fennore observed, a little frightened. "And then I saw you attack each other… I stopped laughing when I realized you really were about to kill one another." He raised his eyebrows. "Now… honestly, I don't know what in the hell is going on, but this has to stop. If Lord Illidan knew we were like this… if Kael'thas knew we couldn't even work together, all our hard work over the last five months will have been wasted." He carefully reached up and lowered Sunthraze's arm. Saturna and Pyorin took huge steps back as the White Blade came between them.

"Why aren't we dead yet, and how do we get rid of this?" Fennore asked, alarmed.

Saturna cautiously looked at Pyorin and Sunthraze. Their faces were also troubled, regretful.

"It's like Kael'thas, our Prince once told me." Saturna answered in a shaky voice. "The spell is my intent… I claim the Light for myself and it must do what I think is right."

Sunthraze carefully asked her. "And what might that be… Mother Whiteblade?"

Fennore blinked. "Mother… whaaa?"

Saturna sheathed her sword, folded her arms across her chest and began to pace. "That I might live to protect Kael'thas. So that Kael'thas will be able to make his own decision… whether to go home or not."

Sunthraze tossed the White Blade aside and it landed on a bunch of Rock Flayers in the distance. They tried not to be amused at how all the clawed little monsters shrieked and died at once.

Fennore smirked. "Funny, I thought you were going to say something like 'whether or not he'll marry me.' Saturna, really, your motivations change like winds over Thunderbluff."

Pyorin and Sunthraze couldn't help snickering despite their situation. Saturna smacked her forehead. "Can the three of you be serious for five minutes! That's all I ask! We still have to settle this—"

"Look, I don't blame you guys for sneaking out here with everyone having such bad dreams and all. It's weird, isn't it?" Fennore was excited and speaking very fast. "Well, a bunch of us also had some coffee to keep from falling asleep again. At first, we all thought it was Lady Vashj, but when we went over to accuse her, she was in the worst mood. To prove she wasn't the one behind people having bad dreams while they're asleep and sometimes when they're awake, she had Path'raxxis the Seer brought out and the mob watched—"

"Mob!" Pyorin balked.

"Yep." Fennore nodded eagerly. "All us Blood Elves went down to the Naga camp outside the Black Temple gates with torches and weapons. We were tired of being harassed in our dreams. Lady Vashj does it for her own reasons, I think, and has been doing it for a while. But we decided that if we all went together she would have to stop. It isn't fair really. Why, I dreamed that Sunthraze stole Mavia which is weird because Pyorin is actually the one who did it, and I wanted to kill both you guys until someone knocked on my door for me to wake up and come with them to heal in case things got rough with Lady Vashj."

Saturna massaged her temples. "Fennore… calm down. You're speaking too fast, and you're jumping all over the place. So you say that Lady Vashj is giving people bad dreams? How come I didn't have any?"

"I dunno." Fennore shrugged. "All I know is, when we confronted her, she was really in a nasty mood and had Path'raxxis the Seer brought forth. Then she made everyone watch while she had her consorts beat him within an inch of his life. No way he can do it anymore, and she also pointed out that none of us have our hair cut… we wanted to search the camp for locks of hair, but then Scy'thlerin told us that was going too far and the raiders would be back in a few hours after sunrise and they couldn't learn our 'boss encounter' or whatever so we Blood Elves had to go back inside and get some sleep. But then I got this idea that I would ride down to Shatthrath City and pretend to be a normal Bloodknight and get even more coffee, not the expensive stuff they have to smuggle and make us pay soooo much for. And then, you know what happened? As soon as everyone began to wonder who it could be giving us dreams besides Lady Vashj, they stopped just like that." He snapped his fingers. "Almost like the person who was really doing it didn't think everyone would get so mad and suspect them, so he left off doing it so he wouldn't get caught, and then—"

Sunthraze put a firm hand on Fennore's bony shoulder. The blonde ex-priest had rushed out of bed so fast, he was still wearing his pajamas. "No more coffee for you Fennore."

"And so, Fennore… you're saying that our reasons for, um, fighting are flawed?" Pyorin asked.

"Yep. Yep. Uh huh." He said. Sunthraze got a concerned look and put up his polearm to get a second hand on Fennore's other arm.

Pyorin looked off into the distance. "But I… it made so much sense. That is the real reason why we came to Outland, to see about the rumors. And we have no proof that he isn't corrupt—"

"Just because you have no proof Kael'thas is a good man doesn't mean that he can't possibly be. And you all trusted me before, you also seemed to like Kael'thas. Didn't you think it a little odd that your minds changed overnight?"

Sunthraze said this over his shoulder, back to them as he steadied Fennore. "Fine, but our suspicions do still have merit. Maybe it took some bad dreams to push us this far but there is real danger, Saturna. It is our job as Nexites to address it. We are the only ones who can."

"What? Did you all just say you were… transvestites—"

"FENNORE!" the other three Bloodknights shouted at him at once.

"No." Pyorin said. "What he's saying is, if you want us all to continue protecting Kael'thas… err, Commander, then you have to get us some proof that he hasn't gone over the deep end..." He glanced at the sky. The night was already turning to morning. "…well, yesterday. We all have oaths as Bloodknights, but you know that there has to be more if… we aren't going to go to extremes."

"I already have sound reasons for standing by Kael'thas." Saturna defended herself. "But if you knew what they were… you wouldn't understand. You might try to condemn Kael'thas right now."

"Fine, keep your lover's secrets if you trust him more than us." Sunthraze griped. "But don't do it for too long. We would really rather not hurt either of you."

"Who's hurting whom now? You guys are really scaring me." Fennore began to wring his hands.

Saturna gave Sunthraze a look. "He's your recruit. Would you like to explain everything to him now, Sunthraze? Or do you intend to keep him in the dark for another five months?"

"Saturna told _me_ up front." Pyorin agreed.

"Huh?"

"It's nothing to worry about Fennore. I'll tell you when you're more experienced." Sunthraze said kindly, and got an arm around his friend's shoulder. They all walked back to the road and got their mounts. "You see… there comes a time in a Bloodknight's life when his powers develop beyond his control. The only way to deal with those special urges is to—"

"Sunthraze. I'm almost fifteen years older than you, and I think my parents already had this little talk with me."

"You _think_?" Pyorin chuckled.

"That explains a lot." Saturna mumbled, and smiled. Then they all mounted up and rode back to the Black Temple together.

Saturna hoped to slip back into the Golden Shrine without waking Kael'thas but there were two problems with that. First, the Prince's Sunfury guards were always awake, and always saluting visitors in loud, confident voices. And second, it seemed that Kael'thas had not slept.

He sat on the edge of his bed in a pair of slacks. Legs splayed, and elbows resting on his knees, Kael'thas reminded Saturna of her father when she used to come home late past her curfew.

"I'm not going to bother asking you where you've been." His voice echoed.

This was the part where Saturna took off her armor and got comfortable after a long night, since it was her home too. Not wanting to reveal the reason to herself, she chose to remain armed.

"And why is that?" she asked.

Kael'thas stood and looked at her for a very long time. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and Saturna tried not to be distracted when he put his hands on his hips and everything that was meant to ripple did.

"Because it doesn't matter." He sighed, dejected. "I am so very sorry. I don't blame you for not wanting to come back after your meeting. Whatever you did to get the sort of space from me you needed, I understand. I figured it out a while ago… but I didn't want to fall asleep and miss you if you changed your mind. So, I stayed up thinking of all the ways I could make this up to you, for forgetting myself and using you like that."

He came and stood very near to Saturna. Kael'thas took her sword away and tossed it aside. It clattered and slid along the tile floor. She worried that he put it out of her reach.

Then, very carefully, he hugged her. "All I could come up with was… to tell you I feel terrible, and that I will try with everything that I have not to do it again. I was going to promise you but, I really do have a problem. That's like promising you that I'll never look at another woman."

Saturna finally laughed easily. "And a poor example for you to use at a time like this." She removed her black gauntlets and rubbed his bare back. "But I get it."

"Thank the Sun." Kael'thas whispered into her ear and then kissed her neck. "I hate being in the doghouse when it comes to you. Why is it that it always takes me losing you to understand what you mean to me? And you've done so much for me these last few months… I'd be truly lost without you, you know that right? You're the sun in my sky."

Saturna could no longer help herself after the night's events. She began to cry.

Whatever the matter was, and Saturna wouldn't tell him, Kael'thas was determined to set it right. Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider had rallied a shattered kingdom of elves to his side, befriended a psychotic Demon Lord, and somehow still maintained a loyal army though more than half of it already defected… So of course, getting out of the doghouse as far as Saturna Whiteblade was concerned was no problem.

Hours later, the red covers of the bed had been stripped away. They lay in a heap on the floor. A near empty bottle of mana oil sat beside that. Saturna lay face down in a plush pillow. A low, guttural moan came steadily from her throat. The hand that didn't hang lazily off the edge of the bed sneaked back slowly along her thigh, the fingertips reached up and over to where her boyfriend sat.

Kael'thas smiled and waited for Saturna to think she was getting somewhere. Hands slick with mana oil, he leaned down, licked her fingers and then nudged her hand away from where she was aiming.

"You're breaking the rules of the massage, Starshine. For this to be solely about you and your needs, I can't be distracted."

"But Kaelthas," she exhaled slowly as he dragged his palms up along her back and then rubbed her shoulders. She forgot what she was going to say.

"It's not massage oil, I know… but it's the best I have. It's different back at Tempest Keep. And you talking is breaking the rules too, by the way." He kneaded his thumbs into the small of her back and let his fingers sneak around her hips and tickle her.

Saturna startled and bounced up into him. Kael'thas laughed evilly. "None of that either, you tease. No sex for you this morning. I'm going for forgiveness."

"Oh, did I forget to forgive you?" He made her jump again. "Why does it feel like you're punishing _me_?"

"Because I'm a bit annoyed that someone like me could get into the doghouse in the first place."

Saturna shrugged her shoulders and nestled deeper into the pillow. "Since you're a Prince, you mean?"

Kael'thas frowned momentarily. "No, it's because I adore you. I didn't want to start our relationship that way. But then again, that there is a doghouse at all is assurance that there _is_ now a relationship between us. That's what lovers do, have spats and get on each other's nerves from time to time."

Saturna giggled and all of her bounced with it. Kael'thas stopped what he was doing to watch. "Kael'thas, if that is the case, then I think we've been in a relationship all along. I know for sure that I got under your skin, and you gave me many heart attacks."

At last, he lay on top of her. "Want another one?" he whispered against her ear.

Saturna had become a submissive fangirl again in an instant. "Yes… please." She turned over and Kael'thas showed her just how much he liked it when she got like that.

"Fangirl sex… is definitely the _best._" His excited voice carried in the empty golden room.

Saturna laughed delightedly again. "And as a Bloodknight, I think I can say I'm glad that I finally showed you the Light."

They both laughed at their bad jokes.

"Well, if we're both so odd, at least we can entertain each other…" Kael'thas was saying when suddenly he sat up. He stared off into nothingness, alert.

Saturna recognized the look from when they were fighting on the phoenix and he announced there was a paladin among the enemy.

He left her and sprinted naked to the large double wood doors.

"Kael'thas! What's wrong? And your clothes!"

He swore, ran over to where they were slung carelessly over the changing screen and put them on. What ever it was must have been terrible because Saturna noted he didn't bother putting underwear on. _This is so not the time! _She did the quick fangirl self-check in her head. _ Down girl! _

"The raiders are inside the temple!" Kael'thas opened the door and shouted to the Sunfury Guards. Saturna yelped and swathed the blanket around herself at the last moment.

"Where, your Majesty?"

"Attacking Illidan right now, killing him. Hurry!"

Saturna rushed to get her armor on.

"Stay here!" Kael'thas told her.

"I am a Bloodknight!" She shouted back, grabbed her Corrupted Ashbringer and raced ahead of him.

The Naga couldn't come, they were occupied at the gates. Kael'thas wondered why the Demons and Fel Orcs hadn't sounded some sort of alarm, when at last they arrived at the East Wing and saw why for themselves.

The two brown Terrorfiend guards just stood there as if nothing was going on.

"Look alive!" Kael'thas yelled at them. "Your Master is under attack." They raised weapons and leaped at them...

"NOT FROM ME, YOU IMBECILES!" Kael'thas really lost his temper then. The rhythmic clatter of Sunfury soldiers in red plate began to echo up the Main Causeway, from the West. "Is there no real sense of loyalty among Demons, by the Sun! From within his very chambers! Damn that Akama and his emergency exit!"

Saturna boldly raced ahead first with the four Sunfury Guards that had been watching Kael'thas' door.

"There's no time, come Kael'thas!" They ran through scattered groups of gambling, grumbling, or sleeping Demons and Fel Orcs in that dark cavernous hall. After passing through another one, Kael'thas screaming profanities at the top of his lungs the entire time, they came to the Blackened Shrine. The ranks of Dreadlords stepped aside when they saw their agitated brethren assembling behind Kael'thas beyond. The enormous double wood doors held back ominous quiet, and when they pulled them open for the Blood Elf Prince, they almost didn't see the raiders at first.

Until Kael'thas lifted both hands over his head and the strange magical ward shattered into thousands of glittering black pieces like a pane of glass. As it fell, they heard the shouts of the Humans and Orcs, the horrible twisted yowls of Illidan. The Twin Blades of Azzinoth lay at his clefted hooves, and he was on his knees.

"He's at five percent!" one of the Humans shouted.

Saturna would have laughed if it didn't mean the end of them all. How many times had she been on their side in a raiding guild, facing down some monster… among a professional group of soldiers who measured death like so many grains of sand in an hour glass. And it was about gold, about treasure, not about right and wrong.

"Attack!" Kael'thas thundered beside her, and the throngs of Demons and Blood Elves rushed at the raiders. The raiders turned around, shocked. Clearly all of this had been carefully planned. They were only prepared to deal with Illidan, not his allies…

Kael'thas blinked through the crowd to get at Illidan's side. Saturna growled in frustration for having been left behind. How could she protect her Prince if she couldn't get to him?

_I'm dying, Kael'thas… you can't handle them alone. Do it now! _

Beside Illidan, Kael'thas summoned his black felhunter and began to rain down fireballs overhead. The raiders were forced back. Without Kael'thas having to direct it, the demon dog sniffed out their healers and went off snarling with glee.

_I'm at your side now, Illidan, don't despair. And beyond are your Demons and the Sunfury…_

_LOOK AT ME!_

Kael'thas only meant to check over his shoulder for an instant, but the horrible state of his friend was heartbreaking. Illidan reached up to him helplessly, tattered wings askance and useless. An enormous gash was in his side. Gore and blood ran from it into a pool underneath him. His leg looked broken, and he wailed in agony.

_You know what is going to come to pass. If you love me at all, if you are truly my friend, you will heed my plight at last…Please…_his voice through the Soul Link began to fade. _Please…_

Kael'thas knelt before his friend, shaking. The raiders were fully distracted by the onslaught by the Demons and Sunfury at their backs now. Kael'thas flinched at the sound of a stealthed rogue near his ear. His soot-colored felhunter came back then out of nowhere and gored it. Korgammon wagged a spiny tail in the sort of joy only a demon could feel for having murdered someone so well.

"Two percent!" The Human man wailed as he went down somewhere off in the back. The surviving raiders turned back to Illidan. Hunters who had been feigning death got to their feet and called their pets. The body of a shaman laying nearby suddenly reincarnated and the green Orc woman began healing everyone.

Kael'thas called forth his voidwalker, sacrificed him for the shield.

"I'm sorry, Illidan… that I made you wait this long…" he said mournfully. Kael'thas drew his Mageblade, raised it over the inside of his right wrist as if to slice it.

Just then, the Orc shaman reached out her hands and purged off Kael'thas' shield. He looked up, startled. A Night Elf shadowpriestess helped her to hobble him and cast a silencing spell.

"No!" Illidan shouted.

Saturna had just fought her way to front. The surviving raiders' backs were to her. She silently drew her blade, turned it white…

She never got the spell off. Illidan Stormrage roared with fury then and stood up behind his helpless friend Kael'thas. His wounds healed instantly, and he seemed to increase in size… unless she was seeing things? Saturna blinked, but now Kael'thas only came up to Illidan's knee.

"Dare you to harm my friend. DIE!!" Illidan lashed out both hands, the Twin Blades of Azzinoth were drawn directly into his palms as if on invisible strings. He stepped over Kael'thas to tear down the last of the soldiers easily. He took some of his own Demons with them, he was so angry.

Saturna could only stand and watch. She looked to the perfectly healed Illidan, and then to Kael'thas. But only relief was on his face. None of the anger and betrayal that she felt.

Later that day, Saturna met Sunthraze and Pyorin in their room. Fennore was gone helping to resurrect some of the Demons and Fel Orcs Illidan had taken out while in a rage. The door was locked and they didn't expect him to be back for some hours.

"Brother Tank and Brother Sly…" Saturna paced as she addressed them. "It is time for the Blood Nexus to finally act. I have the evidence that you requested. Illidan is definitely a threat to our Prince. The Demon Lord is lying to him and Kael'thas must be saved from his clutches whether he likes it or not."

"What is your evidence?" Pyorin calmly inquired. Both he and Sunthraze were solemn.

"I am certain that Illidan is lying to all of us. He has become a full Demon. He is the one manipulating people's dreams, he made Kael'thas think he was weak so that he would sympathize with him. He put his own life in danger so that Kael'thas would… so that he would… Trust me, he's trying to trick him!"

Sunthraze sat up on the top bunk and it creaked. "Into doing what?"

"I… I can't say. It's already dangerous that I know. Only four people alive know, including myself. I'm lucky that Illidan didn't kill me when he found out that Kael'thas confided in me."

"What? Illidan threatened you?" Pyorin stood.

"No… It's not like that. It's just that… Illidan wants Kael'thas to do something for him. It's really dangerous, it could completely corrupt him. That is why Kael'thas has been holding back, because he doesn't want to go that far."

Pyorin looked disturbed for a moment. "Oh no… that's not just dangerous, it's gross."

Sunthraze glanced down at Pyorin. "I knew that they were friends… but not _that_ close. It does explain a lot though. Ugh… Saturna, no wonder you didn't want to tell us."

Saturna raised her eyebrows. "Wait, what are you two thinking of…"

"What I want to know is, how do you two share?" Pyorin scratched his neck nervously. "I mean… I guess if I were a woman I could say that Illidan and Kael'thas are both handsome. Wait, is that going too far, Brother Sly? I'm not gay like them, you know." He raised his hands defensively. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Sunthraze shrugged. "Nope you're not crossing any line. I've observed the same thing. But I don't think you're allowed to say it a second time, out of context of this conversation Brother Tank." Then Sunthraze took on an instructive tone. "Oh, and I think technically bisexual is the word you want. Kael'thas and Illidan like both men _and_ women. The term is _bisexual_."

Saturna turned red. "NO! By the sun! No! What is _wrong_ with you two! That's not it at all. You're WAY OFF! Besides that being DISGUSTING! The hell!" She almost had to leave the room she was so flustered. At the door she turned and stood her ground. "You two! Why in the world did I _not_ kill the two of you last night? You have _issues_! Ugh… gross! I'll never look at either of them the same way… ugh! Now I'll always have that mental image every time I see Kael'thas. Thanks a lot guys!"

Pyorin groaned. "Well, the way you tippy toe around whatever it is… what else could we possibly think!"

Saturna sat down on Fennore's empty cot. "Fine. I'll tell you. But you have to promise to keep it to yourselves. I can see that it's causing way too much trouble when I should be able to trust my own Bloodknights. And my boyfriend is NOT GAY!"

"Bisexual." Sunthraze lifted a finger in correction.

Saturna screamed at both of them. After that was over, though, she began to explain about the Soul Link, the transition into full demonhood, the deal Kael'thas made with Illidan to learn how to heal the Blood Elf racial addiction to arcane magic, everything.

Sunthraze had migrated down to the bottom bunk to sit next to Pyorin and hear her whispers.

"So… that's why I didn't want to tell you all. Kael'thas has to make up his mind about what to do with Illidan. Maybe Illidan used him from the outset, but Kael'thas used him right back. Now it's become a big mess he has to sort out."

Sunthraze scratched his outrageous red hair. "If Kael'thas goes one way, he might become all powerful or corrupt. Because if he owned Illidan, he'd become the Lord of Outland. But if Kael'thas continues to resist enslaving Illidan… well, then he'd stay in limbo like he is now, wouldn't he?"

"We should talk to Kael'thas about this. We can help him decide." Pyorin said.

"No! Absolutely not. Kael'thas trusted me… I think he would be horrified, embarrassed if anyone else knew. He told me so casually, but I think he was just being brave. That was back in Nagrand when he wanted to win me over. There was no lie that could cover his reason for summoning Illidan. A common person would assume the worst, that he was the Demon Lord's master, since that's what warlocks do: enslave Demons. He had to go a step further and explain everything to me. But he was so uncomfortable the entire time, he kept trying to change the subject."

Sunthraze patted Saturna's hand. "I'm glad that I don't have to tell you that Kael'thas is, in all honesty, a shifty character. You seem to be aware of this already and you are clearly protecting yourself against it, by not taking everything he tells you at face value."

Saturna was about to object to what sounded like an insult when Pyorin added, "Who would have thought? A Bloodknight and a warlock… a demon slayer and a demon scholar would understand each other so well. It's actually a very good match."

Relieved, Saturna thanked them. "Though… Illidan is starting to feel like the third wheel in this relationship, which I don't like."

Sunthraze got a glint in his eye and opened his mouth.

"Don't you dare make that joke again!" Saturna warned.

Fennore came into the room then. He looked angry, but locked the door before he said anything. "The three of you had better explain to me what is going on right now. First you sneak out of the Black Temple to attack each other, and you lie to me about it! And don't look at me like that, maybe the coffee distracted me, but you let me think whatever I wanted to, because it was convenient! And now you're in here having some kind of secret meeting when you knew that I would be gone healing. And this isn't the first time is it? Though you've been hiding it well… all those times you went next door to chat with Saturna while that was her room… when you called me a 'Demon lover' and said I wouldn't understand." He thrust an angry finger at Sunthraze. "That wasn't a joke, was it? It was you skirting the truth again and again."

Saturna stayed calm. "Fennore, you're imagining things."

"Did I imagine that you said Illidan wants Kael'thas to enslave him, only you think he's a full Demon now and is lying to everyone to hurt our Prince? Did I imagine that there is a genuine threat on our Prince's life and a fellow Bloodknight, my Commander, isn't going to tell me about it? And you're all sitting there so calm, like it's nothing! I was right outside the door! You're lucky I came back early and no one else is around."

Saturna sneered at Sunthraze. "You've handled this all wrong, Brother Sly. Now is the time to clean up your mess."

Sunthraze bowed his head. "Yes, Mother Whiteblade."

Fennore looked ready to back out of the room, but Pyorin stood in front of the door. "Sit." He told Fennore.

They all were so serious, the ex-priest did what he was ordered.

"Ah… so Brother Immortal. You know how I helped you with your powers?" Sunthraze winced.

"Why did you call me that?"

"Because it's your real name, whether you like it or not." Pyorin huffed.

Sunthraze cleared his throat and continued. "Well, it wasn't by accident that I helped you discover how to cast a Divine Intervention spell inside of yourself. You were on the cusp of discovering it anyway. Since I have a talent of my own, I know how it feels, how to push through that barrier where the Light follows your lead and where the Light obeys your will. And… I know because Pyorin showed me how to do it when it was my time. Do you know who helped Pyorin with his Light Taunt?"

Fennore blinked. "Saturna did. But what has that got to do with anything?"

"And before that, Lady Liadrin helped Saturna with her White Blade spell. I'm sure you've wondered how it is that we're all especially gifted with the Light and just happen to be working together. Few other Bloodknights are able to do what we can… and you have to admit, isn't it far easier to believe that Saturna, Pyorin and I are working together by design, not by coincidence? And the fact that now you are able to do what we can… the secret meetings, the funky titles… Brother Immortal, must I be any more obvious?"

Fennore screwed up his face. "Are you telling me… that you all are in some secret… club? Started by Lady Liadrin?"

There was a silence while they waited for the dramatic revelation to sink in.

Fennore blurted out, "What are you? Ten years old? Ha! Where's the treehouse, the secret handshake?"

Pyorin sneered at him. "There's also a sign outside the door that says 'No perverted Demon lovers allowed.' Are you seriously bad-mouthing the single most important Thalassian military force, truly the most powerful Bloodknights in existence?"

"If this is all I was missing out on, secret plots to steal my Mavia and the true sexuality of Kael'thas Sunstrider—"

Saturna stood, lifted her chin with authority and balled her fists. "Lady Liadrin begat Mother Whiteblade. I begat Brother Tank. Brother Tank begat Brother Sly. Brother Sly begat you. Brother Tank also begat Sister Tempestraven, and she begat Sister Weaver. Before we left, Lady Liadrin asked me to sire Brother Unmaker." The look Saturna gave Fennore was deathly cold. "I am the first one. I have lived my entire life in the Nexus, I gave my youth, my heart and soul to this organization. If not for us then there would be no hope for Bloodknights or for Quel'thalas. If not for Brother Sly, you would have turned yourself inside out with a Divine Shield spell by accident when your powers develooped, and you would be nothing but a corpse right now. Brother Sly is the one who saw where you were going, guessed the technique, and helped you to do it safely, not kill yourself over it. For helping you to save your life, he is truly your brother! And then, if not for Brother Tank, Brother Sly would have burned a hole in his own mother's face!"

Sunthraze was very quiet then and lowered his eyes. Fennore gasped.

"If not for myself, the Mother Whiteblade, then Brother Tank would have died under a violent heap of an enemy onslaught while he did what he once called 'practicing his powers' in Zul'Aman. And if not for Lady Liadrin… I would have never turned my blade white. Those Scryers might have very well attacked and killed Kael'thas in his weakened state on that fateful day, and then where would we be? All of this," she swept her hand out over everyone in the room. "Is because of the Bloodknight Matriarch and her acute understanding of the Light and where it might lead Blood Elves. Our people have hope, real hope, because the Knights of the Blood Nexus exist. The four of us have marched into the oblivion of Outland to find the lost Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider and we found him. He is alive today because of us, and there is a chance that he might come home and set things right… because of our unique agency. Because Lady Liadrin christened us and our powers, set us above the law to do whatever it takes to further the goals of Quel'thalas. There are other 'Masters of the Light', as they say to all Bloodknights… but we, Fennore, we are the physical manifestations of that phrase, the apex of that vision, the wrath of Quel'thalas incarnate. Therefore, we do not wear rings. We do not have tattoos, or a secret 'clubhouse.' What we do is too dangerous, too critical to chance anyone finding out just because we want to show off, to be arrogant and prideful. No. If that is the sort of membership you want, Brother Immortal, you are welcome to walk out that door right now. These aren't children's games." She went, nudged Pyorin aside and opened the door.

"I am Mother Whiteblade." She said. "Now surely, you understand why they call me Mother. I made you. And if you continue to act against us, if you prove so untrustworthy and disrespectful that the silence of a grave is the only way can ensure you won't tell the world about us… Brother Immortal, I can break you."

Fennore covered his mouth, surprised.

"However, because I do not wish to hurt you, my friend. If you are not prepared to hear and do things that because of your insolence you aren't prepared to keep your mouth shut about, I urge you to leave now. The three of us did not come this far with you to waste time and talent." She narrowed her eyes at Fennore and pointed into the desolate hallway. "Get out."

Fennore just sat there. "It… can't be what you say it is. That's just not possible. Lady Liadrin doesn't have any real political power—"

"Because we exist, she has more than anyone knows. The Magisters, the Farstriders… no matter how they are abusing power now, we are the balance. We are the last secret weapon against their lies or incompetence because at any given moment, the seven of us could take Silvermoon back and give it to someone who would lead properly. We have the magic, and the power. But that is an extreme, a last resort…" Pyorin folded his arms across his wide chest. "But Mother Whiteblade gave you an order, Brother Immortal. The punishment for disobedience is clear… you must leave."

"But…" Fennore grabbed fistfuls of cot. "I want to know more. I… didn't mean to offend anyone. I had no idea?"

Saturna looked at the others. "Alright then. If you have the correct attitude," she closed the door, "I will tell you how this works, in logical order before you start pulling the philosophy of the Blood Nexus apart again." Fennore nodded.

"First of all, this sort of evolution for… Paladins was inevitable." Saturna paced as she explained. "The Silver Hand sees what Bloodknights do as blasphemy. That is one of the main purposes of their organization, to prevent Paladins from going as far as we have. Bloodknights are different not just in philosophy. We seek to be Masters of the Light not just in theory, by fearlessly using it to pursue our enemies and augment our physical, spiritual, and mental powers. All Bloodknights strive towards an inevitable mastery of the Light. All it takes to master the Light, and this is what the Silver Hand does not want you to know, is considerable understanding of the Light as a school of magic and a combination of natural talent. Yes, the results are dangerous, but it's foolish to ignore that kind of power."

"There are only seven members of the Blood Nexus right now, but possibly hundreds of true Masters of the Light in existence." Saturna stopped her pacing and continued. "Either these people are afraid of their powers and hiding them, using them for nefarious means in secret, or the last kind are merely unaware of their potential. Lady Liadrin foresaw this sort of problem and created the Blood Nexus to find all these kinds of Bloodknights. I was the third sort, whom at sixteen, picked up a sword for the first time and turned it white. I immediately forgot how I did it and Lady Liadrin spent years of close mentorship helping me to find the spell again. That is why she trained me in the first place, at such a young age. As soon as I re-discovered the White Blade spell during a raid on Naxxrammas two years ago, she sought to find someone worthy that I could pass the spell on to, so that the technique wouldn't be lost. I already tried, and could not pass it on to her. That was how we found Brother Tank. Brother Tank is the first type of Bloodknight, who figured out how to use his special taunt but was afraid of to, because it caused him so much trouble. He shared his secret with Lady Liadrin and myself when he answered her summons regarding the White Blade. It turned out that Brother Tank knew another, called Tempestraven, and she knew another, and so on and so forth. It's not been proven yet, but Brother Unmaker seems to be the second type of Bloodknight. It's a good thing we don't have proof yet though, because we are needed here, at Kael'thas side." She sighed.

Fennore asked, "Why? What would happen if you had proof that this… Brother Unmaker is abusing his mastery over the Light?"

"Lady Liadrin would order us to hunt him down and kill him." Pyorin said. "That is what we must do if there is ever one who is not in consensus among us. It is the only way we have of regulating the membership."

"That's madness!"

"Yes, and it works." Saturna returned evenly. "No deaths yet and everyone is happily putting their powers to work to further the goals of Quel'thalas."

"Will I be expected to do the same?" Fennore worried.

"No. You aren't initiated yet." Sunthraze said. "And… that's sort of why I've been putting off telling you about us. It's not an easy decision, to become a fully initiated Nexite."

"But I am already a Nexite. You keep insisting that I am already a member somehow, though none of you will explain it… That is what you're dancing around telling me."

"Yes, Brother Immortal." Saturna answered. "You don't have a choice, no Bloodknight that we discover does. But that is as far as your role in this goes, that you know we exist and that we are more powerful than you. Your only burden is to keep those two things a secret."

"That can't be all…" he complained.

"Full Nexites are Thalassian deputies and above the law. The Magisters under Rommath effectively control the government and because Lady Liadrin is beholden to Magister Astalorn for creating Bloodknights in the first place, they've set us up as enforcers of the law. But there is one loophole in that… if Bloodknights are the ones who capture and prosecute criminals, then how can we prosecute ourselves? Maybe if we break the law, the three of us will get jail sentences that we'll happen not to serve, or we'll be found innocent more than not, or maybe someone will just lose our criminal records." Saturna shrugged. "As it turns out, the Blood Nexus is the only defense Lady Liadrin has against her Bloodknights becoming a complete tool for the Magisters, as if we were some magical secret weapon of theirs. Well, the Knights of the Blood Nexus are Lady Liadrin's secret weapon. The seven of us are capable of doing what Brother Tank told you and more… but Silvermoon is our home too, and we don't want to ever let it come to that. That sort of life would be a dictatorship, worse than what Rommath is trying to do now."

"You want to bring Kael'thas back, to take over the city again." Fennore inferred.

Saturna smiled a little. "That's a long ways off I think, and it's what Lady Liadrin was hoping for. But, obviously, we can't do it unless Kael'thas wants to. There's no forcing someone like him."

"Nor do we know if we even want him to come back." Pyorin put in, and Saturna bristled.

"Brother Immortal," Saturna moved the conversation forward, "Full Nexites are free to pursue their passions as Bloodknights for Quel'thalas in the most perfect way. I see it as a gift, like being born a woman or short, or tall, or whatever. It has benefits as well as drawbacks, but always, it is a gift. That is what it is like to be a full Nexite."

Fennore whispered, "So… if I was interested in becoming a full Nexite… In order to receive all these unique lessons on the Light and to never have to worry about having a guilty Bloodknight conscience again, for bending and breaking the rules… What would I have to do? That's the part that concerns me."

"Remember what Sunthraze did to that Paladin?" Pyorin asked.

Fennore went pale.

"The Rite of Initiation is different for each Bloodknight. It is a test that you alone can take and pass. The goal is to teach you the price of using your powers selfishly. It is up to you whether or not you will learn that important lesson, so that we will know if you can be trusted. It is your choice to take the test but if you refuse, it will never be offered again."

Saturna looked Fennore in the eye. "As the highest ranking Nexite, I am the only one who can give this test. I don't know the exact task or the timing beforehand because I can't predict when or what will be needed. The event must occur naturally if we are to learn what you are capable of in a true emergency, the sort of decision you would make at a moment's notice. Lady Liadrin has entrusted that responsibility to me alone, because I was the first Nexite, and most of my adult life has been spent wrestling with this power I wanted but couldn't have. I know best that difficult path. When that Draenei needed to be made an example of, I could have done it, or Brother Tank could have, because we'd seen Brother Sly use his Hand of Light spell before. With our superior understanding of the Light, as full Nexites, that is all we need to copy it."

Sunthraze didn't look surprised at all. Clearly, that was the difference between being a recruit and a full Nexite. Such things were no longer secrets to him. Fennore asked, "And so all of you… all of you know how to use my spell, just because you watched me do it?"

"If you ever become a full Nexite, we will show you how to copy another Bloodknight's spell, just by seeing it." Pyorin answered. "Don't look so offended, Fennore. Perhaps we used you a bit, to learn that exceptional spell that is your talent alone, but it was a necessary measure. We invented these miracles of Light magic. It makes us powerful, but also liable… to live our lives with such great power throbbing through our veins but also feel the pressure to wield it responsibly. Then, there is a greater temptation for Masters of the Light do whatever we want with the power. People like us need support, instruction, help. But more important than that, now that we know what you're capable of and can use your power, Brother Immortal, you will never be able to abuse it. Nor can Brother Sly use his Hand of Light against me, or can Mother Whiteblade use her spell against us without Brother Sly and I offering some kind of counter… We police other Bloodknights, in a sense. "

Saturna spoke up, feeling self conscious about how well Pyorin had illustrated that for her earlier in the day. "But at that moment in time after the Shatar battle, only Brother Sly could burn another person's skin with his spell, and learn how horrible it was to torture someone else, even an enemy. Brother Tank and I already know the price of using our unique powers for selfish reasons, because we were already tested and initiated. Furthermore, we have proven to Lady Liadrin and everyone else that we were willing to go above and beyond for the sake of Quel'thalas. That is the duty of a Nexite, to use your powers to further the goals of our country."

Pyorin added, "Normally, it shouldn't conflict with our responsibilities as Bloodknights, to Prince and country… but I'm warning you now that it might. Lady Liadrin never made the distinction clear, because she wanted us to decide on our own. That is the real gift of full membership: absolute autonomy to use your powers as a Bloodknight for whatever you wish. Unless what you wish puts Quel'thalas herself in danger, that is."

"I understand." Fennore truly did. He had calmed down a great deal. "I think I… I was meant for this kind of work Saturna, I always wished that I could do more. That is why I stopped being a priest. I wanted to be more powerful, I wanted to do more than just stand in the back and heal people. But being a Bloodknight… each and every day I learn so much more, and now this… this is amazing! I feel called, I feel drawn into this, I really do… Mother Whiteblade. Could the four of us really… Could we truly bring Kael'thas back home? Just us, by our blades and wits?"

"Brother Immortal, if anyone could convince him, we could. Now you also know that if Kael'thas ever chose to return, we could move heaven and earth to make it so." Saturna said. "But first, before any of us can discuss such details of the mission with you, you must be tested. Once you pass your test, and do something for Quel'thalas, however great or small, or controversial or painful so that we know you mean it, you can be fully included."

Fennore thought about this quietly. "Does this mean that you all were never my friends… that you were just using me while you waited for me to develop my talent so you could copy it?"

Saturna reached over and put a loving hand on Fennore's shoulder. "We are your friends. We became friends because Lady Liadrin invited you along, told you that this was a mission to endear Bloodknights to Prince Kael'thas." Saturna explained. "That wasn't entirely false. But the lie was necessary to have you safely along, without concerning you about moral obligations or exposing you to the Blood Nexus before you were ready. You got a chance to see what we were about, and didn't have to learn about it the hard way. At least... if Brother Sly did what he was supposed to from the start, you would not have had to learn about it so late in the game." She frowned at Sunthraze momentairly. "Anyways, the real reason for the journey is irrelevant. The point is, we all grew closer. Somewhere along the way, we all bonded. I think of you three as my own brothers. And that's not just because we saved each other's lives, through coming together in the Nexus."

"And I feel you are my sister, for keeping an eye on me, and for believing in me." Fennore confirmed aloud, sounding relieved. "Err… Mother Whiteblade? No, I'll say sister, mother is too weird."

The other two men laughed. Sunthraze said, "It took us a while to get used to it too… beside it being sort of kinky."

Saturna gasped and was about to box Sunthraze's ears when there was a knock on the door.

Pyorin didn't move a muscle until Saturna authorized it. "I, Mother Whiteblade, adjourn this meeting of Knights of the Blood Nexus." She whispered, and nodded for Pyorin to open the door.

General Blaize stood there. "Don't slam it in my face." He announced bitterly. "I bring this news to you because it's not my job anymore, not after what he did to me."

"Oh, Nate, we don't need any more of this--"

"As a gentleman, I don't give a damn, but as the General of Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider's troops, I wish to inform you that he set himself on fire again. Only this time, my scouts tell me that he went down into the dungeon mumbling about a enslaving a Demon. Would you happen to know what that means?" By their frightened looks, it was clear they did. "Good. Because I'm not dealing with his crazy warlock temper-tantrums or childish royal moods anymore. I'm sure you'll see to our Prince's safety." General Blaize handed Pyorin his silver key to the dungeon and left.

"Mother Whiteblade… I hope this doesn't mean…" Pyorin said under his breath.

"It can't! He told me that he wouldn't… But whatever it is, we're seeing to it!" Was her desperate answer. They grabbed weapons and raced off.

Kael'thas sat in the middle of an empty torture chamber drawing pulsating blue demonic runes all over the floor with chalk. Dingy wooden tables with knives of all sorts of shapes and sizes plunged into the bloodied surfaces were pushed along the walls. Large metal meathooks hung deathly still overhead. An iron maiden lay open, revealing all the gorey metal spikes within the coffin shaped box. The positioning of the many other metal implements suggested that he'd taken them and moved them out of his way. A nearly drained arcane crystal pulsed white in his free hand. Kael'thas' green eyes blazed out of control as he sat back and last and looked over his work.

The ominous spell in demonic raised up from the floor, began to twist and move, to spark. The energy made him shiver along with the high, a sick lustful smile on his face.

_Now… __open your vein. Shed the blood that is needed to finish the ceremony. _

"Yes, Master." Kael'thas stumbled about in a haze. He drew his glowing red Mageblade.

_Soon, you will be bonded to me, and I can say that to you. That is the greatest wish of my heart, to have it the other way around, for you to want me by your side forever. We will be brothers. That is the way it should be. __Elune__… I don't know that I believe in her anymore, but she should have made it that way from the start. I love you like my own flesh and blood, __Kael'thas__. I will not lose you to __fate or __anyone__ else_

"Yes… you are my best friend. I want that too." He raised the arcane crystal before his eyes and smiled while he drained the last of it. "No more rejection, no more failure…"

_…someone to call my own.__ Never to be lonely again._ Illidan finished guiding his words.

_Now do it, brother. Pour your blood into the flame._

Purple demonic magic erupted at the lei line beneath his feet. Kael'thas had always known the dark energy was there, that was why they put the torture chamber in that spot, to encourage the worst kinds of confessions in prisoners. Because Kael'thas had known, Illidan had known too, that it could happen here as well as in the Golden Shrine and in the Blackened Shrine where he had tried earlier. This was the last place, the last chance…

Kael'thas took the magical sword and slit his wrist.

Meanwhile, Saturna went down the wrong corridor and stumbled upon a familiar prison cell. Kael'thas' old champions, Lianna, Jacinta, and Thera were hardly more than skeletons now.

"What? Have you no more predictions for me!" she blurt out, frustrated. All of them were looking for Kael'thas, but the place was a maze. She came closer to the bars, and shook them, eyes wild. That was when she saw the women weren't moving. They looked more skeletal than usual because they were hardly more than corpses. But the fingernails were red, blood red. Fresh and unchipped because they hadn't lifted their fingers in weeks.

Saturna backed away from the bars, upset by the flood of sympathy that she didn't expect. These women had threatened her, had tricked her into thinking that Kael'thas was evil. She had every reason to hate them. But instead, she felt terrible for them, that they had to die in this way… or was it because in her panicked state, she'd again forgotten which side of the bars she was on?

"Commander!" Sunthraze's voice carried down the hallway she'd just come from. They'd split up to make better time.

Four Sunfury Guards blocked the way through enormous black doors. One could hear Kael'thas summoning powerful magic beyond. The four soldiers had drawn shields and swords on Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore.

Saturna saw their indecision. Their hands wanted to go to their blades, but they knew that if they went quite that far, against their Prince, it might become obvious that they weren't just Bloodknights. No Bloodknight would go against the will of his Prince, to simply be left alone in a room.

Saturna knew better than anyone else what was at stake. They were the greatest weapons that Quel'thalas had, and she wasn't about to waste that power. She drew her blade and turned it white. "Break it down." She ordered her men.

They and the struggling Sunfury soldiers stumbled through the heavy doors into a horrific scene.

Kael'thas laughed as he dripped a steady flow of dark blood from his wrist into a hungry purple flame. Demonic spells had been written in his elegant hand all over the floor, on some of the walls over the horrid implements of torture that he'd tried to clear away but couldn't get them far enough. The spell consumed the rank dark room, and even as Kael'thas kneeled because of the pain, because he was growing weak for loss of so much blood, he smiled. It was that same sick lustful smile Saturna had seen before when he summoned Illidan.

Something told Saturna that it was the real thing this time. Or, it would be if she didn't stop it.

"Heal him!" She yelled at Fennore.

Pyorin stuggled under the weight of two men, so Sunthraze taunted all four Sunfury guards onto himself when they didn't get away from Pyorin or Fennore fast enough.

That made it worse. Kael'thas raged against his closing wound and sliced open his wrist again as Fennore healed. Saturna wrenched his blade away, and he tore at it with his fingernails, the arcane crystal, his teeth… Kael'thas was so focused on what he was doing, he didn't fight back. He just wanted more blood, he was so close, so very close… The purple flame finally weakened and fizzled out.

_DAMN HER!_

"Damn you, Saturna!" Kael'thas shouted suddenly. "How dare you interrupt me!" Kael'thas he turned on her in an instant and slapped her face hard with the back of his hand.

Saturna fell backward and dropped her sword. Trembling, she reached up and felt her cheek.

"I'll kill you!" Kael'thas shouted next. "I'll kill you for ruining this for me! It's what my master wants!" he kept coming at Saturna, and she crawled backward on her hands. She was too overwhelmed to speak.

Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore saw it. In a split second, they made the terrible decision to act as Nexites.

To the horror of the Sunfury guards, each Bloodknight drew his blade and turned it on Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider.

On the floor, Saturna was shaking as she took in the scene.

"Stand down!" Pyorin shouted. It was meant for Kael'thas and the Sunfury soldiers. At the moment, the Prince was their hostage.

The anger in Kael'thas' face seemed to fade as the lone arcane crystal in his hand finally waned, turned gray and then black. He looked at them, frightened and disoriented, then raised both hands over his head.

"Back, against that wall there!" Sunthraze shouted next. Kael'thas turned his back and walked over to the wall. He watched Saturna helplessly the entire time.

"Starshine… what's going on? Where am I? What just happened?"

Saturna got up. "Kael'thas… did you… plan this? Did you do this on your own?"

Still confused, he stood at the far end of the room. The Sunfury guards looked angry, but there was nothing they could do when their Prince's life was in the hands of these men.

Kael'thas looked up suddenly, as if something finally occurred to him. "Illidan made me do it! I remember… he came and gave me that crystal." He pointed at the blackened husk of magic on the floor with his foot.

"And how would he do that, if we removed all the crystals from the Black Temple?" Sunthraze accused.

"I don't know!" Kael'thas flared. "I was working at my desk and suddenly there he was."

"He appeared out of thin air?" Fennore challenged. "That's not possible. You must have summoned him."

"He's not my Demon pet, I can't summon him!"

"But you were fixing that just now, weren't you?" Pyorin challenged.

Saturna took a step toward Kael'thas, but Pyorin got in her way. "Are you mad? He hit you! You can't be with a man who would abuse you that way."

"It wasn't him… It was Illidan." Saturna insisted.

Sunthraze shook his head, disbelieving. "He calls you one little nickname and you're a brainless fangirl again. Is that it? Is that why you refuse to see the obvious? Kael'thas is a monster!"

Nor did the Sunfury guards disagree. Kael'thas was unhappy to see them fall silent.

"That was out of line, smartass." He told Sunthraze.

Sunthraze raised his Blackened Spear, and took a step closer. "I wasn't joking this time. Do you really think you can threaten our Commander and get away with it? Maybe she's distracted by you, but we aren't."

Kael'thas put his hands down. He was recovering from the arcane crystal already, and seemed to realize now that someone like him couldn't be threatened so easily. He started to get angry. "What happened to… 'My life for my Prince?'"

Saturna pushed to Kael'thas' side then, and hugged him. "They are worried about me." She said quickly. "You love me, don't you? If you were in their shoes and saw my boyfriend hit me, come after me… wouldn't you react in the same way?"

Then she gave the others a desperate look. Pyorin was the one she needed to convince the most. Her life was forfeit if he decided to become Father Tank now and do what they'd been arguing over for a day and a night.

Pyorin dropped his newly reforged shield and his sword. It clattered loudly on the ground. The other two Bloodknights did the same, though they looked angry about it. The Sunfury Guards rushed to arrest Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore. The fourth one came and yanked Saturna away from Kael'thas.

At first, Kael'thas hesitated. Saturna was shocked to see it.

"Let her go. And the others as well."

"But your majesty! They threatened you with regicide, the highest crime—"

"Do as I say! You heard Mistress Whiteblade… I would have done the same, if anyone dared touch her the way I did. I was the one out of line."

Kael'thas flashed a concerned look at Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore, then took Saturna's hand and kissed it. "I think we need to go home, and talk." He softened when he saw the hurt in Saturna's eyes. "Please."

She wrapped her arm around his and Kael'thas began to lead them all away.

The plate boots of the three Bloodknights struck the stone floor in unison behind them. It was hard for Kael'thas to forget that they were there, like three angry older brothers who'd seen him lose his temper and strike their precious family. It gnawed on his conscience, to be on their bad side. As if being in the doghouse with Saturna wasn't enough...

When they were almost at the gates and the Fel Orc guards, Saturna spoke. "Your champions are dead."

Kael'thas flinched, but kept walking. "Are they? I didn't know…"

"Nor do you care." Saturna mumbled.

Kael'thas shook his head. "That was their sentence, to die in obscurity beneath the Black Temple in Outland. It was what they deserved for going against me, the sovereign, the very will of Quel'thalas herself. You are a Bloodknight, Saturna Whiteblade. Would you really have it any other way?"

There was only one answer to that question. She didn't say it, because to her and the other Nexites it was already so painfully obvious.

"I love you Kael'thas." Saturna said instead. There was nothing the others could say to this. That was the one thing that divided them, despite the Nexus of Blood. The silence between Saturna and her disappointed Bloodknights now became palpable.

"I love you too, Saturna." Kael'thas boldly announced into the quiet tension that he sensed but, for reasons greater than himself, could never be made to understand.

Illidan crouched on the ruined tiled floor of the Blackened Shrine. His black claws were spread wide, his wings arced. The muscles of his arms shuddered he put so much weight against them, so much force through them to the floor. He snarled, and sounded truly feral.

Every single demoness in his harem lay frozen in various acts of fleeing, dead.

The rage had only just now subsided because he started to think of Kael'thas more than Saturna. He cared for his friend more than he hated her, for ruining everything. That calmed him… that caused Illidan to realize what he had just done. The guilt of the cold-blooded, senseless murders was overwhelming. Maybe these women were like his pets… but they depended on him for survival. He had destroyed that trust.

Illidan Stormrage hugged his arms and curled up on the cold stone floor. "I can't keep living like this… thousands of years… all progressing to this point. And I am still as out of control and horrible as ever. I need a guide, I need a friend." He wept. "But if I kill her… if I harm that damnable Bloodknight in any way, he'll leave me won't he? But if she stays… what can I possibly do? What can I do to make this work!" his eyes darted about in the darkness.

Then, "Guards!"

The two wooden doors flew open letting in what sallow light the West Wing had to offer. A dreadlord marched in and clapped a fist to his chest.

"M'Lord?" He saw but did not complain about the dead demon women in the room. He was Illidan's personal guard for a reason.

"Send for the Naga and their magics… I need these women resurrected." Illidan paused. "Unless… they prefer death to having to serve me?" he panicked, the regret truly overwhelmed him. Then he whispered to himself, "How is this possible? I thought this part of me was left behind, when I transformed…"

"M'Lord? What would you have me do?"

Illidan roared at the dreadlord suddenly, enraged at having been interrupted. He raised a claw, as if to strike…

_No __Illidan_

Illidan flinched. It was Kael'thas.

_Stay calm. Ask for the healers and then send him out._

Illidan did as Kael'thas told him. When the doors again closed, Illidan waited in the quiet, desperate for what his friend would say next. He needed his comfort now more than ever.

After some time, Kael'thas' kind, instructive voice returned.

_I do not understand why sometimes I can get through the__ soul__ link and sometimes I can't. I don't know how you summoned yourself into the Golden Shrine__ yesterday__, or how you encouraged me to enslave you tonight, after I made it very clear that I didn't want to. _Kael'thas paused, making his mind up about something that Illidan couldn't see. _But the how doesn't really matter, __Illidan__. I am most concerned with the why. You are desperate, and I nearly lost everything today because you felt insecure. Whatever the matter is, you need to trust me. You need to tell __me what is going on__ before things get worse. _

_You wouldn't understand. _Illidan managed through the pain.

_But I will. You and I need to talk alone__ and in person, for however long it takes to settle this_

_You and I can never be alone… not with her there._

Another pause. _Then I will send __Saturna__ away for a few hours, for you. Will that be alright?_

Illidan covered his face with one hand and wept. How was it possible that after everything, his friend still wanted to help him?

_Where shall we meet__ then_Kael'thas insisted though his friend hesitated.

Illidan realized that this was his last chance. It could happen very easily, if he simply played into his friend's greatest weakness. He wished he'd realized it before. Kael'thas was a powerful mage, but also a compassionate warlock. Those… those weren't even supposed to exist.

But threatening Kael'thas, blackmailing him, lying to him, those things hadn't worked. Would he be a fool to try again? Or would he be more of a fool to not try, to not take advantage of his friend when it was so easy, and his needs so much greater.

What would a man do? What would a true friend, a real brother do?

_Illidan__, what is your answer? _

Kael'thas didn't say it, but Illidan could see for himself his friend was in the Golden Shrine pacing by the bed. Some feet away, Saturna was waking up because Kael'thas had left her side. He was eager to go back to her, to put the woman he loved at ease and make things right after today.

Illidan growled. _There will be absolutely no interruptions this time! The meeting will take place in the one place that no one can interrupt us__… you'll see. I'll arrange for everything. But you must swear to me__ that __this time,__ you won't break out of it. __Old f__riend._

_Thank you __Illidan. __ Of course, I will do everything that I can to help._

At last, Illidan stifled the link. To Kael'thas, it would feel that Illidan became weak suddenly and could not maintain it anymore.

As the Naga priests and shaman slithered in to care for his abused demonesses, Illidan paced. This was it. This would be his last chance. If he wanted Kael'thas to accept him then there was only one way to do it… games and tricks, lies and betrayals, none of those things had worked over the last few days and time was running out.

But telling Kael'thas the truth at last… that frightened Illidan like nothing else.


	21. The War over Kael'thas, Part III

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty One: The war over Kael'thas, Part III**

"**Kael'thas… I am your brother." **

For some reason that Kael'thas couldn't hope to fully understand while sleeping, he dreamed that he was in Ashenvale.

Nothing was more unsettling to a Blood Elf, to be trapped in a land laden with exactly the wrong kinds of magic. Everything was overgrown and wild, nature smelled… actually _smelled_. Trees had knotholes, their bark peeled with disease alongside other plants that stood proud and healthy in the muted purple twilight. This was naked, unkempt life when allowed to multiply its overabundance of imperfection, such that there existed unbridled complexity and variation. The people who walked through these trees, knowing what they did about the true power of magic but refused to tend to their world, feared to handle the slightest tendril of power like zealots, like backwards cultists… they were the true savages.

It was beautiful but in a terrifying way. Kael'thas feared that this Night Elf world would lose its temper any moment and eat him. Eversong Woods… well, even after Arthas, it lived up to its name.

He had a guide. A very tall Night Elf man with loose dark hair wore only simple hide trousers, no shoes, nor did he carry a weapon. Kael'thas felt overdressed compared to him.

"We're almost there, Kael'thas." The man said, just barely glancing over his shoulder.

Kael'thas stopped walking through the crisp undergrowth. "Illidan?"

Illidan Stormrage paused and leaned on a tree. His hands touched thick wet lichen but he didn't mind. "Yes, it is I."

"Really you… I saw all of this and could tell right away that it wasn't me imagining you. But how?"

Illidan smiled a little, though he didn't fully face his friend. "I was weak at the meeting, yes? Well, now the transformation has fluctuated in the other direction, Kael'thas. There were many things I could have done with this surge of power. I chose to share something exceptional with you, and only you. Maybe it's not the meeting in person you suggested, but I did not ask for permission to initiate this dream because—"

"Because I would have said no. That is why I didn't have a choice." Kael'thas teased him. "Well, you're wrong my friend. I would not have said no. I would have… insisted you pick someplace else, like a refined tavern in Dalaran. But who am I to judge, really?"

Illidan laughed and continued to lead them through the forest.

"I did this often when I was your age." He pleasantly reminisced. "I didn't want to mar the memory, by bringing my future self… my tortured self into this innocent past. I walked deer trails like these with my friends, with my... brother." he grimaced. "Then, after we had our falling out, I walked them alone. I didn't think that those would be the first steps I took down a very long road that only became more isolated and precarious. I never could have anticipated the kind of suffering—"

"Ugh!" Kael'thas grabbed his ankle and scowled at the bottom of his black boot. He was wearing the most casual clothing he had, a set of black slacks that were tucked into his tall boots and finely tailored shirt. It still caused him to look regal besides rustic Illidan. Kael'thas sighed with irritation and turned back to his now soiled shoe. "When you said deer trail… I didn't think you really _meant_… was it necessary to make Ashenvale so very realistic?" he wiped his boot clean of the deer droppings in a patch of grass.

Illidan gave up on his dramatic speech and just laughed. "No, you are not a Night Elf at all. Though I often forget."

"How could you ever." Kael'thas crossed his arms and walked beside him. As always, he only came up to his friend's shoulder.

Illidan couldn't stop smiling from then on. He stopped speaking about sad things and just started enjoying the beautiful forest. Kael'thas came to enjoy it too… not because of Ashenvale itself, which he found repulsive, but because it felt nice to just live simply for once and enjoy the company of a good friend. And Illidan Stormrage was the closest friend he had.

They climbed into the foothills of a verdant mountain along the coast. It wasn't Darkshore back then, just majestic forest hurtling toward an abrupt sandy beach. Illidan stopped them at a campsite that looked out over the deep blue-black water. Thousands of years later, Teldrassil would dominate the misty horizon. Now, only a gently yawning dark sea.

Illidan sat on a log before the blackened fire pit. He dropped some twigs he had been collecting into it and went about rubbing tinder together to start a campfire.

Kael'thas snickered and raised a hand.

"Bloodmages didn't exist back then, let alone fire mages of any sort among the Kal'dorei, so don't even think about ruining this memory in that way." Illidan smirked.

Kael'thas sat on the log opposite Illidan and looked on, truly amused as the Demon Lord struggled to make fire. "I suppose… it's good to be rustic sometimes. I feel even more powerful by just watching you break a sweat over that." He snapped his fingers, made a flame on a fingertip and then blew it out.

Illidan just shook his head and kept laughing.

"I wish…" Illidan said after they watched the tiny fire grow, "that it could be this simple. We should be able to do things like this. But there isn't a place in Azeroth that we are welcome, is there, my friend? And everywhere in Outland, we would have to watch our backs. Out here," he swept his hand across the view of the exotic black sea, "we have nothing to fear. It truly is like the beginning of the world. This was a peaceful existence that was cruelly stolen from us!"

"It _is_ relaxing." Kael'thas conceded. He leaned back on a tree trunk behind him and propped his boot up on a large rock. "So is this what you wanted to share with me? I was sure that something else was bothering you."

Illidan warmed his hands over the fire, even though it wasn't a cold day. Though Kael'thas waited patiently, there was threat latent in that hawklike gaze.

"Yes, I was getting to that. You see... you and I, we're a lot closer than you think, and that's why I had to go to extremes–"

"I'm not an idiot, Illidan. Stop lying to me, I know what's going on."

Illidan idly chewed the black claw on his thumb, the way Kael'thas did when he was nervous. "I… I didn't want to lie to you."

Kael'thas folded his hands over his stomach as he leaned back against the tree. "The prophecy is true, isn't it? The Shatar didn't make it up… the Skettis are brilliant with shadow magic, of course they got it right."

Illidan couldn't meet his friend's eyes while he listened.

Kael'thas leaned forward. "Did you really think I wouldn't understand? You let everyone think that you suddenly developed a cold or something like that, but Demons don't get sick, not even half-Demons like you. And of course the Shatar wouldn't invest so much time and effort in creating propaganda, in the form of a prophecy. Were you really that embarassed that they could guess your transformation date so accurately and I couldn't? You only made up that story to save face in front of your generals. And then, since I know you so well and we share a Soul Link, you added another layer to the lie, to fool me into missing the obvious. Am I right?"

Illidan just sat there. He was seeing the strength of his full Demon powers in this very moment. It was bittersweet… the perfection of his clairvoyance, his scheming, had still fooled Kael'thas. The brilliant Bloodmage saw the inconsistencies over the last few days and delved further for the truth, but was only able to find the lie within the lie. That Illidan was a full Demon now should have been obvious, but the power of the full Demon Lord's suggestion deflected the truth, like a plate shield.

Finally, Illidan stopped gnawing on his talon. "You're right, Kael'thas." He laughed lightly. "Why did I ever think that I could fool you? You're such a good friend."

Kael'thas folded his hands underneath his chin, and leaned into the firelight. It was getting dark. "It must be exceptionally horrible, for you to try and trick me into enslaving you, the pain so great that it's making you do desperate things. Fortunately, I have spells for the pain. Be honest, now, where does it hurt?"

"Well… you see—"

"I heard that you spent forever with that harem of yours… do I need to _guess_ where it hurts?" Kael'thas grimaced. "Are you just going to let me keep talking myself into a hole? I'm getting super uncomfortable over here. Illidan?"

Illidan's mind wandered while Kael'thas kept talking anxiously about all the things that could go wrong with Demon physiology… in that, um… area, which was probably for the best. No one, not even a Demon wants to hear anything like that, and a true bookworm, Kael'thas' knowledge was excessive. Illidan was bothered by how hard it was to lie, when Kael'thas was being so nice to him.

"...But if it only itches then that's okay." Kael'thas was saying, "As long as it doesn't hang too left… Okay, that was really graphic. Nevermind. Look, just think of me as your physician right now… this is about your health, Illidan, not your demon pride. I am _your _ warlock. So, is it something along those lines?"

Illidan started coughing again, and Kael'thas shook his head. "I hate to tell you this Illidan, because you seem to enjoy fooling me, but that is the worst fake-coughing I've ever heard in my life."

Illidan stopped doing it immediately and looked dejected. "You're a warlock… sometimes I forget you have the capacity to guess me so well." Then the Demon Lord furrowed his brow, "But there is no way we are going to pursue your current train of thought. I don't have a problem like that!"

"But you clearly have some kind of ailment in that umm... area. The transformation has affected everything else, your feelings, our Soul Link, your strength. That's the last place it hasn't hit. Why did we ever assume that it wouldn't? And that's a good reason to lie to your best friend about your health if I ever heard one. Now, out with it. It's so obvious to me that your harem, or Lady Vashj must have aggravated the condition somehow."

Illidan froze.

Kael'thas started smiling as he went on, "I knew it! So you aren't a lonely old bachelor, are you? You two had some kind of lover's spat…" he made a show of eyeing the abnormally tall Night Elf version of Illidan, "Or brawl considering your half-demon taste in women. She's cancelled all the victory parties in your honor, she's been especially harsh on Scy'thlerin, had that poor Path'raxxis the Seer beaten… ever since the night of the meeting. What in the world did you do to her, Illidan?"

Illidan cleared his throat nervously. "Nothing… we just, you know, talked."

"Ha! Come on now Illidan, it's me, Kael'thas… You've been flirting with her for years. Did the two of you finally—"

The young Illidan Stormrage flushed. "I don't really want you to know…"

Kael'thas started laughing wildly. "I'm no mind reader, but clearly I don't have to be! My intelligence assured me that she was in the Lagoon that night. You old dog… did the demon magic fluctuate on that night too, like it is now? Did you transport yourself to her room, like when you came to the Golden Shrine?"

Illidan had lived a long life in secrecy. He knew better than to give into bragging right now, especially about the conversation he had with Lady Vashj. But… that overly-long, isolated life was also the very reason that compelled Illidan to speak up now, the same reason why Illidan had accepted Kael'thas' offer to share a Soul Link in when they first met in Outland.

"No, I sort of… included her in one of my dreams." Illidan grinned a little.

"Wait…" Kael'thas thought about this for a moment. "Not like this one, right?"

Illidan laughed. "Of course not! You know what sort of thing I'm talking about, though the technique was nearly the same."

Kael'thas raised his blonde eyebrows when at last he understood. "You didn't… that's like every man's fantasy, to get the woman actually into the dream with you." He shook his head, disbelieving. "Did she, you know… like it?"

Illidan shrugged. "I don't care what she thinks. I liked it, that's all that matters."

Kael'thas frowned at what his friend's attitude implied. "Not that I want to know this much about your love life, Illidan… but your primordial-man, beginning of Azeroth sort of opinion of women is dangerously outdated. It is _not_ alright to take a woman's choices away like that. It's no better than what Blaize did with Saturna."

"It's no better than what Malfurion did to Tyrande in the first place, by absconding off into that Emerald Dream of his." Illidan snorted as he gave a brief, mocking laugh. "Don't preach to me. I know what lines should never be crossed. I knew exactly how to fix the problem with Tyrande and I knew how to fix Lady Vashj too when she toyed with me."

Kael'thas became very still. "What you're talking about so casually Illidan, is called rape! Don't tell me that you… you didn't do that to Tyrande herself, did you? The High Priestess of Elune? And now, Lady Vashj?"

Illidan looked at Kael'thas, horrified. "I didn't do that! Did I _tell _you that I… I could never hurt Tyrande like that! And I certainly didn't force Lady Vashj. She could have left my dream at any time if she really wanted to… Heh. It's not my fault she couldn't figure it out fast enough. Besides it being just that, Kael'thas, a dream!"

"What in the world is wrong with you? Have you even forgotten how to treat another mortal person decently? Rape is not about… it's not sex, it's an act of violence. In Silvermoon, we have strict laws against that. Even if it was just in Lady Vashj's mind… I'm repulsed by the woman myself, but even she didn't deserve something like that."

"I'm a Demon, Kael'thas, you know that. We go about it violently, and that's the way I wanted her. Funny that you've become a moral authority all of a sudden, warlock. What happened to your being happy for me?" Illidan lowered his eyes. "Having a brainless harem is no real romantic achievement. It does nothing for the heart… Now, sweeping Tyrande off her feet after Malfurion abandoned her for years at a time in that ridiculous Emerald Dream, that's a triumph. Kael'thas, I nearly told you the other day that Tyrande and I had an affair." He got quiet, and Kael'thas raised his eyebrows. "I _do _have first-hand experience with extra-marital affairs. The emotional aspect is complex, and the physical part... Tyrande felt so guilty that she ended it. She made me promise never to tell anyone else, especially not Malfurion. Though I hate him!" He seethed, "I know that going to him would cause me to lose what little I have with her forever, if I break that trust. But Kael'thas, my friend... That one precious moment I shared with Tyrande was the greatest success of my life. I was never happier. And then, tragedy of tragedies, she still chose him over me!" He growled a little. "That's what I meant, Kael'thas, I won her over, heart and body, for a brief time. Not that I forced her. I would never do that to a woman."

Kael'thas turned away. "I really don't want to talk about this anymore. It's truly none of my business."

"Fine, I'll let you change the subject like you always do when something isn't pleasant enough for the Prince of Quel'thalas to continue thinking about." Illidan baited him, but Kael'thas wouldn't budge.

"So the… nature of your problem isn't in that area. What _is_ bothering you then, Illidan? Why did you go so far to convince me to enslave you?" He pointed a finger at him. "By the way, we haven't yet gotten to the part about how you made me relapse—twice—and then made me attack Saturna, though it's coming… Something really big must have happened over the last few days to scare you into it?"

Illidan sat back down across the fire from his friend.

"Enslave me now."

Kael'thas groaned with frustration. "Stop it! Not until you tell me what's going on, will I even consider it."

Loose strands of raven hair slipped from behind Illidan's long violet ear and fell into his face. Just like with the moss, he wasn't bothered by it. Kael'thas wondered how Illidan had ever separated himself so far the natural world he loved.

"At first I wanted the Soul Link because the transformation scared the hell out of me. And it's been a long time since I've been frightened, Kael'thas. Demons aren't supposed to feel fear, when life itself is pain. To have that sensation return to me, it felt like I was falling, all the time. When your mortal soul joined with mine, I remembered what it was like to be finite again. I never expected… that being connected to a mortal life could be so comforting, knowing that you will end is a better absolute than never knowing when the suffering will become so great that it will swallow you whole. Never knowing the exact moment when life ceases to be a gift and becomes an endless torture. I thank you for that."

Kael'thas said nothing in turn, but watched him intently. It made Illidan feel like some sort of Kirin Tor test subject. He hated that though he'd abandoned that life, his friend could still make himself appear like a critical Alliance scientist.

"But later… I came to depend on it."

"Not anymore though. That's what you are implying."

Illidan hesitated. "Yes… you've got it exactly. I feel better these days." He waited to see what Kael'thas would say to that.

He didn't say anything at all.

"Maybe I don't really need your soul anymore," Illidan said carefully, "but I still want it."

"Why? And I don't see why you are even bringing this up, it's not as if you could just give my soul back. Nor can I return yours. That's impossible."

"Kael'thas, the last time I could trust someone with my life like this… was before Malfurion and I met Tyrande." Illidan kept watching for Kael'lthas' reaction, "And… now I want to kill Malfurion. We have to do it together, it's the only way…"

Kael'thas sat up. "Alright, honestly, I don't follow you at all. This doesn't make any sense. Illidan, stop dancing around whatever it is, and just tell me."

"We should be brothers."

Kael'thas shifted weight uncomfortably where he sat on the log. "Um… alright?"

"Do you mean yes?"

"Yes to what?"

Illidan leaned further over the fire. That reminded Kael'thas that this was just a dream, because the young Illidan Stormrage most certainly had to have been afraid of fire. "It's the only way… Elune made a mistake, because of the Ysera. All of this, everything is Malfurion's fault. He's out of synch. I've been studying this for a long time, about the Bronze Dragonflight… sometimes people get displaced. There are those who tamper with time, and the Bronze Dragons try to fix it. Ysera is the queen of the Green Dragonflight, she is the one who forced the Night Elf druids to join the Emerald Dream in the first place, where Malfurion has been. And he came back out, just now… he didn't even go to Tyrande first, he came to me. But I locked him up, I figured it out before it was too late."

Kael'thas looked at Illidan like he was crazy, which was exactly how he sounded. "What… did you figure out, my friend?" he asked gently.

Illidan became enthusiastic at that slightest encouragement. The youthful guise he now wore really made his discovery seem especially childish. "Malfurion traveled back in time to raise an army of druids for the evil Dragon Queen Ysera. He'd nearly succeeded when I found him and put him in a dungeon! The Bronze Dragons don't know what's going on yet, I'm not sure if they would even help me, but they have to. Even if I have to make them." Illidan gestured with his hands, "You see, that we eventually came to share souls is not a coincidence, Kael'thas. Malfurion is a dark agent, he needed to hide in kal'dorei society somehow at the beginning of the world to start up Ysera's army… You are actually my brother—"

"Illidan, no."

"Just listen. Malfurion did it so precisely, taking your place, but the important thing is, we found each other at last! That's why our souls match so well, haven't you ever wondered? Now, the only thing we need to do is kill him together, so Malfurion will be forced to go back to his time, whenever that is. His displacing you, and stealing Tyrande from me messed up both our lives. It's the whole reason I was driven to become a Demon. Malfurion also caused you to lose your father, and your kingdom… but we can get it back. We can fix everything that ever went wrong on Azeroth. First, you use your warlock powers that were destined to match with my one weakness as a Demon to enslave me so that we can be like family again. Second, we kill Malfurion and send him back. Then, we finish taking Outland together, and—"

"You're completely serious, aren't you?"

"Don't look at me like that, like I'm crazy! This is serious…" Illidan began to mutter to himself, "I never even told anyone else about my theories before, but I only figured all of this out _after _our souls were linked. I felt how close we truly are and began to ask all kinds of questions. About a year ago is when I got the old tomes about the Bronze Dragonflight, and then the Green One… After I read those, I began to look back at my own life and it all started to make so much sense! I was able to put all the pieces together, as only I was meant to, since I am the only one of us Malfurion didn't tamper with. You were meant to be _my _brother instead. Tyrande was meant to be _my _wife, and we are really the ones who are supposed to be leading the Night Elf people. If that were the case, then the Highborne would have never separated from the Kal'dorei. Quel'thalas wouldn't exist, we'd be one people! One people that fearlessly wielded powerful magic and were close to nature. Don't you feel it, Kael'thas? Our soul link is excellent. We are two halves of one whole. We were separated at birth, Kael'thas! There are so many things we have in common, and we were both born in the exact same month—"

"Lots of people have that in common, Illidan." Kael'thas began to get up. He inched away from the campfire.

"But our star signs are the same! And you're a warlock, I'm a Demon, both of us love women we shouldn't have… only you were strong enough to fight Blaize, your mortal enemy—that's why I wanted you to kill him. Dammit! Kael'thas, you should have gone through with it—and all I have to do is kill Malfurion, and I can get Tyrande back. It's all so simple! Hey, where are you going?"

"To be honest, Illidan, I was sneaking away." Kael'thas said from where he stood beyond the firelight.

Illidan asked him why, and Kael'thas answered, "Because I really think that I should wake up right now. Nor do I think you should share anymore dreams with me."

Illidan started to get angry. "You think I'm crazy. Just like the others… don't give into Malfurion's lies, that I've gone mad! He told all of Outland, even the Alliance and Horde that I've lost my mind, but it's the transformation, you know that. And the transformation is all his fault too! Don't you see, that's part of his master plan, to throw me off the scent. If you enslave me then we'll be reunited again at last. And then we can end this horrible mess together! You don't even know your own mother, Kael'thas, don't you want me to tell you about her?"

This spiraled into a heartwrenching argument. Illidan kept trying to tell Kael'thas about the childhood he missed with his brother, Kael'thas kept insisting that he was an only child with a mother and father, the King and Queen of Quel'thalas. It saddened him to have to go so far back, to prove to Illidan that Anasterian was the one meant to raise him. Finally, Illidan insisted that the reason Kael'thas' father died was because he wasn't meant to live in the first place. Malfurion was trying to cover his tracks back then and he caused a ripple in events that caused Prince Arthas to become a Deathknight and destroy the Sunwell and Silvermoon City. That larger disaster drew attention away from the real goal of the attack, the assassination of King Anasterian Sunstrider. To the inevitable objections Kael'thas posed, Illidan insisted that Anasterian had figured out that Kael'thas wasn't his son, but belonged so someone else. Malfurion pulled strings with his strange druid magic from the Emerald Dream to fix that.

Next, Illidan started saying that the Night Elves, the Alliance, all of Azeroth was never meant to turn against he and Kael'thas. Malfurion worked behind the scenes inside the Emerald Dream to turn all those people against them so that they would either get killed by so many of their enemies, or else never find each other. The Emerald Dream was a place where Malfurion could manipulate the natural world. Malfurion, all druids, and the Cenarion Circle were created in the first place to throw people off, to give Malfurion a cover for his twisted druid magic that he used to disrupt the flow of time. And wasn't that too much of a coincidence, that Malfurion was the first druid ever? He must have then trained all those others so that he wouldn't seem like the only one. Malfurion got the old god Cenarius in on it too, cruelly agreeing that Illidan wasn't worthy enough to become a druid… All that rejection, the thousands of years of Malfurion thwarting Illidan's plans to save Azeroth time and again, so that he had to resort to accepting the help of Demon magic from the Burning Legion, and they were all going to die unless he and Kael'thas killed Malfurion soon, in the right way, or else the Emerald Dream would consume all of Azeroth. Outland was the only safe place to raise an army…

"Enough!" Kael'thas shouted at Illidan, near to tears. "This has finally gone too far! You would refute my very existence, desecrate the memory of my own father? You twist an argument you had with your brother, thousands of years ago into this? This is madness, Illidan! Malfurion rejected you, yes, I'll give you that. Tyrande chose him over you, you lost the two most important people in your life over and over again, yes this is true, and it's horrible. But he is not out to get you. The Emerald Dream… yes that magic is tainted, the Green Dragon Queen Ysera is deeply disturbed, but she is not the head of some kind of secret plot to destroy Azeroth. Malfurion is not on a secret mission to destroy you. Many people here in Outland want to destroy you, Illidan, but it's your own fault! Not someone else's! You have to accept that about yourself."

Illidan looked at Kael'thas like he was crazy. "Don't be like them… stop saying that."

"Look at me!" Kae'thas shook Illidan by the shoulders. He was frantic. "A long time ago, you pissed off your brother. When you took that vial of water from the Well of Eternity, _and_ competed with him over a woman, and not just any woman, Tyrande Whisperwind herself! All that created a schism among the Kal'dorei, our ancestors, that could never be healed. It _is_ all your fault. You have to accept this, but it isn't such a bad thing. I exist today because generations later, my ancestor Dath'remar agreed with your vision and set about creating the glorious magical kingdom the Kal'dorei were too feeble-minded to take for themselves. You paid dearly for that brave choice my friend, you lost Tyrande, you lost your brother's trust. You've been trying to set things right and trying to convince everyone of your clairvoyance ever since! But you were before your time, Illidan! Tyrande and Malfurion are still of that same, beginning of the world mindset. It's just impossible to endear them to you now!"

Kael'thas looked exhausted, and began to pace. "I guess that in a way, I do wish we were brothers. Maybe that is what you sensed from me through our Soul Link. But that is the dream of every only child, and you are my greatest friend. If I could have any other siblings at all, I would have wanted it to be someone like you, who understands life and people so well, who was brave enough to abandon his family, his friends, when they could no longer understand him, when they turned against him, rejected him…"

"You see! That is what I am talking about–" Illidan interrupted.

Kael'thas raised his hand for quiet. "I'm not done yet. You and I _are_ very similar, Illidan, and I think my being a warlock helps with that. You have been alone for a long time, and I'm sure my friendship is a great relief to you, it must _seem_ miraculous, but really, when you were so ahead of your time, you were bound to meet up with someone who understood you eventually. You certainly lived long enough. What we have is a powerful alliance between two brilliant leaders, Demon and Warlock, man to man, a true friendship. We've put a god-like fear into the hearts of many of our enemies, haven't we?" He paused and took a deep breath, "But we are _not_ brothers! Nor will we ever be… though times like this, when I see just how much pain you are in, how you are suffering for what's tragically befallen you, time and again… I wish for the world that we were. Maybe then, I could have prevented your being so isolated, so misunderstood for so long."

"That is exactly why you have to enslave me, Kael'thas! We have to finish healing the bond between us. I was afraid you wouldn't understand, but I can't go back in time before this conversation and un-say it, not like Malfurion can, and has done to ruin many things for us in the past. Don't you see the danger of your reasoning, Kael'thas? Malfurion is already getting to you, but when you become my master, we'll be reunited as brothers. No one can come between us ever again."

Kael'thas finally lost it and started yelling. "I can't take this anymore! I hardly have room to think, to breathe, to be with a woman because of you! Stop it! Stop talking like me, stop copying my mannerisms, stop listening in on my conversations, watching me while I… while I have sex! I know that you're doing it! Just… stop it! You can't blame other people for your problems, Illidan. All you can do is change your ways, that's what Saturna taught me. Furthermore, if you're so angry with your brother that you want to kill him after all this time, don't go dragging me into it! Grow some balls and do it yourself! It's going to hurt like hell to murder someone that you love–and obviously, you still love your brother Malfurion. I'm not going to enslave you just so that I can order you to do it and you won't feel guilty about it." At last, Kael'thas made an effort to control his voice. "This link between us has finally gone too far, Illidan. Yes, I am a warlock, but I'm not all-powerful because I use Demon magic. That is a mistake a novice makes. I command Demon magic deftly because I know my limits, I know when to stop, and I already explained to you that I can't enslave you, because I'd end up hurting myself."

"What are you saying, Kael'thas? I told you what is really going on here… you confessed that you wished you were my brother. Are you going to enslave me, and end the suffering of my life? And…" he hesitated, "Have you ever considered that... If maybe what you say is true, and I'm wrong–though I am certain that I'm right–Isn't that all the more reason to enslave me, Kael'thas, to control my will and then set me right? Please…"

"Stop manipulating me! Stop lying to me! You are ruining my life. No, never! I will never enslave you, if that's what you need to hear! You are crazy, a lunatic… I can't believe that I followed you… away from my people, my country… into this wasteland. And for what?" Kael'thas sat down and buried his face in his hands.

Illidan sat there quietly, staring at his friend.

Suddenly, Kael'thas got up. "I'm out of here."

The beautiful young man who was really a full Demon Lord stalked after Kael'thas in the darkness a few paces, balled fists at his sides. "Kael'thas Sunstrider… I would not do that if I were you."

Kael'thas shouted back in the darkness, "I am a brilliant Bloodmage, a once member of the Kirin Tor. I also possess the rare magical gift of the Sunstrider line… I can get out of your damned dream if I want to." then he mumbled under his breath, "Unlike poor Lady Vashj."

"You selfish, pretentious sonofabitch!" Illidan shouted back.

"Lucky for you, you wholly believe that you just insulted your own mother, so I can't truly take offense. Illidan, I am going to wake up now and get back to the sort of work I _thought_ I was doing here in Outland, for the Sin'dorei. When you're ready to be reasonable, old friend, you know where to find me."

The peaceful night of Ashenvale breached suddenly. A lone crack split the middle of the pristine black firmament. Illidan raised his hands in the darkness, pushed his palms together against an unseen force, trying to seal the sky of his dream again. The white light of consciousness began to shine through. Illidan scowled at it. His fangs began to grow back. Large, curved horns ripped up out of his brow. He fell to his knees in agony.

_Kael'thas…_ Illidan cried his name pitifully over and over again in Demonic and through the Soul Link, so that the warlock could not ignore his plight.

Kael'thas Sunstrider stared straight ahead as he conjured. Purple runes flowed between his fingers and finally he reached up, released the power overhead.

The perfect night shattered like thousands of shards of black glass, just like the magical ward Illidan had placed in his own room to keep his Demon soldiers out. Kael'thas now realized that it had been Illidan's trap for him, not Akama's doing. Illidan had wanted only Kael'thas to know about the danger, to perhaps panic and come alone. Or… perhaps it had been Illidan's brilliant manipulation of Akama's obvious disdainful scheming, a combination of efforts. All to sate Illidan's madness, to get Kael'thas to enslave him. Illidan used the Shatar raiders as well. He knew that they would break into the Blackened Shrine all along. Illidan created the opportunity after the ploy in the Golden Shrine had failed, and then the third and final lei line had been in the dungeon where Kael'thas encouraged Illidan to install a torture chamber years ago, because the dark magic there could help them more effectively interrogate enemy prisoners.

All of that hard work beside his friend… Kael'thas saw now that he'd only helped Illidan to build a cage for himself. Saturna was right. Illidan was obsessed with him, there never was any helping the Demon Lord through his transformation, maybe no one could help Illidan heal thousands of years of emotional and physical self-destruction. Perhaps there was only one fate for Illidan Stormrage: for the half-Demon man to lay in the bed he'd made. Kael'thas' efforts over the last two years had only exacerbated the problem. Maybe Malfurion and Tyrande had been right all along, to abandon him.

_No… not you too. Please, don't think it. Don't do it!_

"Fuck with my plans regarding my people or Saturna again, Illidan, and see what else happens to you." Kael'thas coldly answered as the black shards of magic shimmered and faded away. Then, the Blood Elf Prince stepped out into the light.


	22. What rhymes with maybe?

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: What rhymes with 'maybe?'**

Kael'thas nudged Saturna awake.

"Good Morning," she smiled and then yawned.

"It really isn't."

Saturna needed a few moments to fully awaken and realize that Kael'thas woke her for other reasons. Nor did she feel very well…

Saturna rubbed her belly in comforting circles while she spoke. "You look like you just lost your best friend. Did you have a nightmare or something? If it's Lady Vashj again…"

"What a convenient expression." He sighed. "If only it had been just a dream. I'd prefer seeing Silvermoon City burn again… than to know what I do now."

"Wait a second… all those months ago, is that what she made you see?"

Kael'thas sat up and stuffed pillows behind his back. "Why do you ask? What did she make you see in your dream?"

Saturna cleared her throat nervously. "Well… it was a pleasant fantasy for the most part, of course. How else could she convince me to do what she wanted? You conjured a phoenix… I watched, Arthas left and then we had sex."

"WHAT! No, not even in _your_ dreams… how is that possible? For him to screw me over, even now—"

By Saturna's expression it was obvious the sort of mistake he'd made.

"Sorry… I'm more mad at him than I am bitter about losing Jaina. And… I realize now that you meant _we_ had sex in the dream, not you and Arthas."

"Thank you." Saturna said and folded her arms across her chest. "And good job, by the way, skirting the doghouse again."

Kael'thas rubbed his eyes. "Saturna, do you know how when I have a problem, you attack it with everything that you're worth, and whether or not I like it, I end up feeling better?"

Saturna smiled. "I didn't realize you thought of me that way, as some sort of heroine…"

"I love you because you're honest, and kind… and sexy." He reached over and tucked messy hair behind her ear so he could see her eyes. "You've become my champion, whether you were ready for it or not. I really need your help now, Saturna."

She turned to him, but that seemed to upset her stomach more. "Alright, I am going to lie here and stare at the ceiling, but don't take it the wrong way. I _am_ listening to you."

"You aren't well?"

Saturna shrugged that there was a good chance it was just something she ate. Kael'thas caught the implied statement, that she had an idea of what it might be, otherwise.

He shook his head of the notion, when there were more important things going on. "Alright, so basically… Illidan is a lunatic."

Saturna started laughing, and to say that she already knew that, everyone did.

"No, I mean he's mentally… he's certifiable! Even by Blood Elf standards, and far before the war, our people were plagued with arcane crystal junkies and the delirious sorts who spent far too much time near the Sunwell. Illidan is worse than all those put together. He is convinced that I am his brother."

"He told you this?"

"Just now, in a dream." Kael'thas tapped temple.

"What? But… how do you know it's not Lady Vashj this time? How can he—"

"The strength of his Demon magic is fluctuating now, at the end of his transformation period. And our Soul Link is the same way, it comes and goes." Kael'thas raised his eyebrows as something occurred to him. "And by the way, I'm running away to Silvermoon City!"

"What, you are?" Saturna got excited, but Kael'thas put a finger over her lips. They waited.

"No, he's not listening now." Kael'thas grimly concluded. "And no, I'm not going back home Saturna, that was just to test the Soul Link."

Saturna gave a little frustrated fangirl cry and whacked him upside the head.

"Ow!"

She frowned darkly and went back to rubbing her stomach. "I don't see how I can help you with this… What, do you want me to exorcise him for you? Kael'thas, I've been telling you all along that you can't trust Illidan and that you should leave Outland. Anyways, I bet he's just lying to you again, about this."

"No, he really is crazy Saturna. I can tell the difference. Besides, it's not a big deal if Illidan is dishonest, because everyone lies to me. He lies to me, Lady Vashj lies to me, General Blaize lies to me, you lie to me—"

"Excuse me?!"

Kael'thas didn't apologize. "Everyone has secrets, Saturna. It's impossible to be an effective monarch and not accept that when you hold power, everyone else is constantly trying to take it away, whether to help or hurt others… it doesn't really matter. On some level, I can't trust anyone. That's what my father taught me. And don't go telling me that he's wrong, either. My father foiled many coups and assassination plots in his day. And you don't go allying yourself with shady types like Illidan whom they call _The Betrayer_ and Lady Vashj, the slipperiest type of them all, without expecting them to deceive you."

Saturna bowed her head. "I'm not completely sure yet, that's why I haven't said anything… I'm sorry."

"For what? I don't know what you're hiding, only that you're hiding it, having secret meetings with your Bloodknights in the middle of the night. I didn't notice before, because you all used to be neighbors and it probably wasn't necessary, but that they're happening now suggests that they were taking place all along. And you won't tell me about it, so I can only assume that it concerns me. And then, yesterday, in the dungeon… maybe I was very distracted by what Illidan made me do, but that was most definitely a ply on my emotions. It's the first time I've observed you to maneuver me like that Saturna. Now that we're on the subject, I really didn't like it."

Saturna opened her mouth in shock. "Oh, thaaat." She laughed nervously.

He glared at her. "Maybe I just said that going behind my back isn't a big deal, because everyone has their own agenda… But do you really think it's some sort of joke, that you would laugh it off?"

"Kael'thas, you misunderstand me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. I'm actually relieved that you're taking this so well. You have no idea what was at stake, I _had_ to keep it a secret—"

"Yes, of course you did." He said unhappily. "Just like I have to lie to Illidan all the time about what I'm really up to, moreso because he's fixed it so that he can read my emotions, my thoughts. Lying… Unfortunately, sometimes it's a part of survival."

"But I'm a Bloodknight, as well as your friend and your love… I should never lie to you."

"Stop it, Saturna. I don't want your excuses, I don't need them. I had this coming to me, didn't I? I've always been unlucky in love, but this time I was really fooling myself. I should have known."

Kael'thas looked straight ahead, saying nothing for a long time, while he worked up the courage to explain. "When I figured out that you were going behind my back some time ago, I came to this realization: It took a good batch Demon magic-spiked rum, and an obsessed fangirl on some sort of secret Bloodknight mission for me to actually successfully date someone." He almost laughed, "I've not changed at all, have I? All of Illidan's promises… they were empty. I can't alter myself. I'm still a bookworm, still awkward. I blinked right into your door the other day, didn't I? I had to go above and beyond, steal my own General's wife just to have a chance with love. We almost didn't happen, Saturna. And Illidan has been doing everything in his power to pull us apart, to separate me from you, and my soldiers… my last connections to Quel'thalas, so that I'd be dependent on him alone. All so that he could enslave me and fulfill this sick fantasy of his."

"Wait a second… You said he wanted you to be his… _brother_ right?"

Kael'thas flared at her, "Yes! Why does everyone keep suggesting we've got more than that going on… I'm a warlock, he's a Demon, I get him in a unique way, he understands me completely… is that _so_ hard to believe?"

"Sorry… I wasn't fully awake, thought you might have said, 'lover.'"

Kael'thas threw off the covers and got away from her. "If you want to stay sleeping in my bed, you had better not ever, EVER, manipulate my feelings again, to get your way, do you understand me? I'll accept that you have other motivations, that maybe you're with me now because you need something… Hell, I'm lucky to have this half-assed chance at love, the way I've been acting these last few years." He came to her side of the bed and abruptly swept aside the red veil, yanked her up by the arm. "You're stuck with me, Saturna Whiteblade, because I know you don't mind it. I hope you fail your mission, that you completely compromise it for me." He kissed her hard. Saturna struggled a little, then whimpered and gave in.

"I love you. I don't care what you're up to." He told her. "I hope that you weren't lying when you said that you loved me, after resisting me for so long because you were confused about General Blaize. Now that I think about it… That wasn't just about Blaize, was it? You were afraid of what might happen if we got too close. And all your excuses damn near worked, didn't they? I almost walked away from you."

"I'm so sorry, Kael'thas. I didn't want to hurt you because of the mission, and that _was _part of my hesitation. But you have to believe me, I was worried about those other things too, I truly was. When I first came to the Black Temple, I thought it would be enough for me to just sleep with you once, and then I could put those strange fangirl issues I have to rest. But then, unexpectedly I… fell in love with you. I fell for you so hard, so fast… I got confused, I didn't know what to do. But I chose to be with you in the end. No matter what, my place is by your side. I said that a few days ago, and it was from the heart." She pleaded with him.

"What is it you're meant to do, hmm? Tell me everything." he kissed her again. The way he went about it, Saturna completely lost control, Kael'thas knew exactly how to handle her. He boldly told her as much, explained his tactic as he undressed her, touched the places she liked…

"Lady Liadrin wants you to come back home. I want to bring you back home, I love you. I'm so sorry for lying."

Kael'thas was also caught up in the spell of what he was doing. As it had always been between them, the seduction wasn't one sided. It was an effort to bring himself back to the matter at hand.

He kissed Saturna gently and said, "Is that all?"

"No. But I… I've sworn as a Bloodknight—""

Kael'thas sighed and nestled into her shoulder. "That's what I thought. This is hard on you, isn't it? This conflict of interest… it's hard to love me both ways, because of your Bloodknight oath."

Saturna cried as she nodded. "But we're all trying to do what we think is right, I'm trying to convince them. I'm risking so much by telling you all this. Please… don't let anyone else know. The repercussions are dire."

Kael'thas rubbed her back. "I already knew, and I didn't do anything to stop it. What makes you think that I would betray your trust now? I love you, Saturna. I just want you, that's all. Can we stay together, if I keep pretending that I have no idea what's going on? That's all I want."

"Pyorin and the others are the ones I have to convince. They're just confused… I'm sure I can change their minds."

"Of course you will. I know you can. I'll even help you." He kissed her until she stopped crying. "You're a terrible spy, do you know that? I'm going to _have_ to help you now." He managed a laugh.

Saturna laughed too.

"What do you need me to do? I'd do whatever it takes."

She took a long time to say, "You have to go back to Silvermoon. There are a lot of problems there, Rommath is abusing power… Lady Liadrin wants you to retake the throne. That is the only way Pyorin and the others will continue to believe that you're a good person."

Kael'thas stopped smiling. "No. That is the one thing I won't do. You're going to have to tell them to forget about it. When this siege on the Black Temple is over, I'm taking you back with me to Tempest Keep and that's it. I like your friends, but if they disagree, they can take it up with my guards."

"Kael'thas!"

"Don't call my name like that, and I didn't say anything wrong. I have a right to the woman I love. Unless… you don't want to go back with me?"

Saturna hesitated.

Kael'thas didn't get angry. He prodded further, "I can't go back, because of what I've done, but you can, can't you? How is that possible, if you and I have been killing together, defending Illidan together… Dammit! Saturna, you share my bed!"

"I'm above the law." She explained. "All of us are. It's supposed to be a secret… but there's a positive side that that as well. Kael'thas, if you ever wanted to, you could come back. Lady Liadrin would rally the others and the seven of us—"

"Seven! That's not very many!"

"We are the most powerful Bloodknights in existence. Working together, we could overthrow Rommath for you. All you have to do is say the word."

"You all are fools." Kael'thas paced away from Saturna. "Rommath is the Grand Magister… and he's not an idiot. I don't care if you try and use a White Blade spell on him and the others, it wouldn't work anyway. Ruling people is about more than clearing a space to sit on a throne. And if I rule the people without swaying their hearts… it's nothing different than what I'm doing to the lesser races out here, for Pathaleon's experiments, or Illidan's campaigns. I wouldn't rule the Blood Elves in that way, it wouldn't be right."

"But you do know how to rule them, you know the difference between dictatorship and equanimity." Saturna insisted. "You know what to do, how to fix everything."

Kael'thas watched her for a moment, then went to shuffle things around on his desk. "I know what's going on in Silvermoon. There's nothing to fix. What Rommath is doing is brilliant; I wouldn't change a thing. He'll make himself Regeant soon, or somesuch, and then he can be like the King without having to officially usurp the throne. I'm not needed, and he knows it. Nor will he allow the people to learn the truth about me and despair."

"But the people… they love you Kael'thas."

"It's enforced love, so that they don't panic." He raised an eyebrow. "I told you about this while we were flying over Nagrand. Enforcing love and fear… they're not so different. I told Rommath how to do it a while back. He's very loyal, he believes he's just keeping the throne warm for me, for when I'm ready to come back. But I'm not going back. He didn't want to hear it when I first sent back to Silvermoon City… we still talk through scrying orbs. I've tried to tell him many times after that, but he won't hear it now either. But, I'm confident that he'll do what's right eventually. The man's a patriot." Kael'thas paused. "Just like General Blaize. An asshat, but also a patriot. So, I'm able to use them both."

Saturna walked over to him, made him face her when he didn't want to. Naked and beautiful, she took his hands, looked into his eyes and said, "I know that you have a lot on your plate, and the last thing you need is another worry. But the truth is, we have to go back because…" then she seemed to lose confidence. "Illidan is a full Demon. You aren't safe with him here, none of us are."

Kael'thas eyed her suspiciously, and straightened. "I realize that I can come off cold, so consider this a warning… while I attempt to control my voice." He rolled his neck and then faced her again, green eyes blazing. "Illidan Stormrage, however mad he is, however vile… is my friend. He is my ally. I owe him my life. Every Blood Elf," he flared suddenly, and Saturna flinched, "Even the BLOODKNIGHTS owe him. If you want me so badly, in your life and on your throne, tell all the lies you think you need, but you WILL NOT malign my friend. I am prepared to stand most things, Saturna, but I will not have you play games with me where Illidan is concerned. I have no patience for that, he has enough problems already."

"You are protecting him? But… you admitted yourself that he was lying to you. I'm telling you, he's changed. He's fiddling with people's dreams, he's desperate for you to enslave him, and you have to admit that fake cough—"

"Oh, he must have appeared in your dream then, and manipulated you. That must be how you know?"

"No. But he made Fennore think that Sunthraze stole his girlfriend—"

"I don't want to hear about that insidious… Have you got any thought in that pretty little head of yours that isn't connected to some schoolgirl fantasy? Illidan has NOT transformed. I would feel it, we share souls, by the Sun! Saturna, give me some credit."

"Maybe I'm young, but I know better than to put faith in the wrong sorts of people. Kael'thas, you are a good person, I know it. But Illidan is sneaky… It's so obvious, but you refuse to see it." She took a tentative step closer to him. "Now I'm starting to see how you two are good friends, perhaps more… You idolize him, don't you? In your eyes, Illidan can do no wrong, he's like your hero." She said quietly, "The way that you are my hero."

"I am not his fangirl… if that is what you are implying." Kael'thas got a disturbed look in his eye. "Look Saturna, it's like this. If the Light was a creature, a living, breathing entity that you could pick up and hold in your hand, that you could have conversations with, wouldn't you do it? Could you really just let it sit there, let it writhe and suffer alone, not offer it any comfort at all?"

"I suppose… But Kael'thas, like I've said before, Illidan is not some puppydog!"

"No, you're right. He's not. Illidan Stormrage is power incarnate! The full strength of the nether manifested. It is amazing what he has done, what he is capable of. That he's lost his mind is a tragedy. As a warlock, how can I know him and not want to help him? Of course I raise him up on a pedestal. That is where he belongs! He is the most powerful Demon I have ever met, and I am proud to be working by his side. What we do is terrifying, and a dangerous balance between outrageous success and damnation, but that is the life of a warlock. It is the thrill I live for. That is why I'm still here in Outland. I explained this to you many times."

Very uncomfortable with this revelation, Saturna changed the subject. "Maybe he gave everyone else dreams except for me, because he knew what would happen if he hurt me in any way. Illidan must know that you would come down on him if he ever did something like that to me… wouldn't you?"

"We're not talking about this anymore. When these fourteen days are up, you will either come back with me to Tempest Keep, or you can go back home with your friends and throw yourself at Kael'thas look-alikes for the rest of your life. Hell, I'd even point you in the right direction. I happen to have a distant cousin—"

Saturna raised her hand as if to slap him, then grabbed her stomach. She steadied herself with a hand on Kael'thas' shoulder.

"Starshine? Are you okay—"

He never got the words out. Saturna bent over and got sick all over him.

"Between you and Blaize," Kael'thas grimaced. "I… don't even know how to finish that statement, but I don't think I'll be upsetting either of you again anytime soon."

Saturna said she was sorry in a small, embarrassed voice but she couldn't stop.

Kael'thas had the Sunfury Guards send for the most powerful healer in the Black Temple: Fennore the Immortal.

An hour later, the three of them sat on Kael'thas' bed. Saturna lay on her back with a cold rag on her head. Fennore sat by her side, feeling her pulse. Kael'thas had curled up next to Saturna, all semblance of their heated argument forgotten.

"Well…" Fennore shrugged. "You say she's been doing this for about a week straight? Not just today?" he rubbed his chin. "Well, my diagnosis is thus: She should stop eating so much soldier food. We all went through the same thing when we first got here. I think she's had too many gourmet meals with the Prince here in the Golden Shrine. That lunch she had in the barracks yesterday, and all those snacks I saw her grabbing earlier this week shocked her system all over again, most likely."

Saturna looked relieved.

Kael'thas saw it, recalled her hesitation earlier, the nervousness… And knew better. However, there was nothing he could do about it yet…

On the eighth day of the raiders' siege on the Black Temple, Kael'thas got the opportunity he was looking for. He and General Blaize found themselves forced to be on speaking terms again, now the Blood Elves' turn to defend the gates. When the Human warrior leading the Alliance raiding guild saw that the enemy had changed up on him, he swore and stamped his foot.

"Dammit! Where are all the Naga? We were almost to Lady Vashj last time."

Back behind the files of Sunfury soldiers, up close to the temple doors, General Blaize smiled. "When I'm good…" he muttered under his breath, "I'm good."

Kael'thas waited nearby on his golden Hawkstrider. He glanced at Blaize over his left shoulder, wanted to yell the accusation in his face… But Kael'thas knew that, this time, he had to control his temper, that bordered on homicidal behavior last week.

Blaize spoke to Kael'thas without looking at him, and there was a great deal of flinching involved, "We're all assembled, your Majesty. We can begin the attack on your word—"

"No we aren't. Saturna isn't here."

"Oh… she isn't? I hadn't noticed."

Kael'thas flexed his fingers in his red glove and then slowly curled them back up into a fist around the Hawkstrider reigns. "Wouldn't you like to know why? You always seemed so concerned about her well-being."

Blaize really didn't want to take the bait. Kael'thas almost enjoyed seeing the other man's hands start to shake. "I'll just give the order then—"

"And go over my head, in a raid of all things, in front of everyone? No you won't, that's treason." Kael'thas sneered at him. "Go on, ask me why she's late. Ask me what could possibly be wrong with Saturna that you might just happen to be responsible for."

Blaize slowly turned to face him. "What, pray tell, has befallen the Lady Whiteblade?"

"She's been sick every morning this past week."

Kael'thas was surprised to see this news have the opposite affect on Blaize than he expected. The man started to grin, bold and wide.

"I guess we'll have to wait a whole nine months to figure out whose baby it is then."

"You bastard! You did this to her on purpose."

General Blaize just shrugged. "She _was_ my wife. What did you expect? Saturna wanted a family, a life…" but he wasn't mocking Kael'thas anymore. He was patronizing Saturna. "She liked the idea, she's the one who brought it up. I was just doing what any dutiful husband would do."

"I'll flay you into so many molten pieces, I swear—"

Saturna came up on her charger then. "What? No battle? I expected to come in late, hang back, buff and heal…" she joked. "No… Are you two fighting again? Kael'thas, he gave me the divorce, don't you think you've done enough?"

"You're yelling at me?" Kael'thas floundered.

General Blaize maintained his smug smirk. "Good Morning, Saturna. And by the way, despite your condition, you look lovely."

"My condition? Blaize I don't know what you're talking about, but don't you dare start this up with me again either. This whole thing between us is over, it's dead. And we're no longer friends. I don't owe you anything at all."

"You will…" he muttered under his breath. Before Kael'thas could reach over and hit him, Blaize gave the order. The first file of Sunfury soldiers started the charge, and his General rode around to watch.

Somehow, the raiders managed to either incapacitate or distract the other Sunfury while they focused fire on one target at time. This left Kael'thas and Saturna sitting through uncomfortable silence in the back.

"I feel better this morning." She smiled nervously at Kael'thas. He was afraid to say anything to her.

After a time she said, "Would you be mad if… no, I shouldn't say anything."

Kael'thas sighed.

Saturna tried again. "I was late this morning and all… but Blaize is gone so I think it's safe to bring it up."

"Saturna, it's alright, I already know about the—"

"Can you conjure some water for me? You know, in case things get rough and I have to heal. Oh, and some sweet rolls too. I'm starving! And, on top of that, I have a craving all of a sudden."

Kael'thas squinted an eye at her. "You… want _me_ to conjure food and water for you? Me, the Prince of Quel'thalas, Azeroth's first ever Bloodmage, a member of the Kirin Tor."

Saturna flushed. "Yeah… I knew I shouldn't have asked. I came late to the raid and simply missed out on that part, didn't I?"

Kael'thas started to smile. He dismounted and conjured. Soldiers waiting around them started fidget, to look over their shoulders…

"I'll have you know that I usually have mages to conjure water for the mages that conjure _my_ water. You, however, will be an exception, Starshine."

Saturna began to fawn over him instantly, and a lot of the Sunfury soldiers nearby flashed The Prince of Quel'thalas shocked looks. The very idea of a Sunstrider conjuring water for someone else…

"Keep your heads in the raid!" General Blaize shouted from where he was watching everything at the base of the hill.

When Kael'thas finished, he handed the bottle of Suntouched Special Reserve and the slice of chocolate cake up to her.

"What in the…? This isn't water, or even—"

"I'm a Bloodmage, love. Do you really think I'd conjure something as mundane as bread and water, especially for the woman I adore? No, you just sit back and enjoy the elegant repast. Oh, and it may also interest you to know that skill came in handy back when I used to sneak out as a teenager. I always brought the liquor… kept me with the cool kids for about a year before they could buy their own though." He frowned at the memory.

Saturna giggled at the gift and his little story. Just as Kael'thas was beginning to convince himself that maybe the two of them would be alright afterall, she handed him back the unopened bottle of champagne.

"I… um… can't drink that right now, you take it." She scarfed down the chocolate cake though.

Kael'thas whimpered. "Is it warm out here, or what? I'm… burning up in this robe."

The Alliance raiding party wiped after their first try. Kael'thas got bored watching them resurrect each other, reassemble, raid, and repeat… his eyes wandered to his Saturna. She was looking sickly again.

He was afraid to ask her any more questions about her strange behavior. "Oh, come on! This is their fifth attempt! Their armor has got to be broken by now. Look, they haven't even got past General Blaize. How do they expect to fight you, or I, Saturna?"

Saturna leaned over and hugged the gold armored neck of her horse. "Ungh…"

Kael'thas tried very hard not to notice. "I bet I could pick off that healer… wait, a minute, a shadowpriestess is healing them? Are they crazy? Do they take the Sunfury so lightly, that they would heal using a reflective percentage of damage from shadow curses…"

"Oh no…" Saturna dismounted and ran back inside the Temple.

Kael'thas snapped. "That's it!" He kicked his Hawkstrider into a gallop.

General Blaize was observing carefully as four of the Sunfury wrestled with their lone warrior tank. Nine other raiders cast their meager spells, almost got the better of him…

When Kael'thas charged into their midst, they yelped and turned tail. "It's a wipe, a wipe! Who aggroed Kael'thas?! It was the hunter!" they tried to scatter.

"I tire of this! My girlfriend and I need some alone time, and as my good friend often puts it so simply to you people… YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!" Then he unleashed another searing blue fire spell and incinerated the lot of them.

General Blaize frowned. "That was against the my strategy, you know."

"If they can't resurrect each other, then they can't come back. Problem solved." Kael'thas grimly observed, and rode back up the hill and through the temple gates to find Saturna.

He found her in the Golden Shrine, lying in bed wearing one of his old black shirts.

"What? No sexy lingerie?" he teased her.

"What I've got on right now is like armor." Came Saturna's muffled voice from where she lay face down in a red pillow. "A warning that I'm not up for anything this morning… Or this afternoon, or after your midday meeting, right before dinner… or tonight. Now that I think about it, we really do it too much, you know."

Kael'thas stood in the middle of the floor, staring at her and chewing his thumbnail nervously.

"You _are_ pregnant, aren't you?"

Saturna made a pathetic whimpering noise. "Uh huh. I was going to tell you…"

"I guess it isn't really a surprise… you _were_ married to him afterall. That jackass! I'm not sure what you want to do though… or what you want from me now that you're carrying Blaize's child?"

Saturna lay on her side to face him. "What do I want from you? Kael'thas! This isn't Blaize's baby! What in the hell is wrong with you, accusing me of something like that?"

"But it isn't _my_ child. That's not possible."

Saturna opened her mouth in shock. "You _are_ accusing me of sleeping around! How can you… I never expected you to turn on me like this."

"I'm not turning on you, Saturna. You were married to Blaize, like I said. And even if it didn't happen back then… Well, I… I can't believe that you wanted to be with someone else while you were with me, but we only just started to refer to each other a couple two days ago, right? Maybe you still weren't sure about us, confused… It's my own damn fault for not drawing any boundaries at the start."

Saturna sat up. "I _love_ you. I didn't cheat on you. You and I go at it like rabbits… how can you really be this surprised?"

Kael'thas became very serious. He sat next to her on the bed and looked at her a long time.

"It would be a shame…" he almost threatened, "if after everything we've been through together, it turned out that you were lying to me about this too! I'm giving you one chance to admit that you've been after the throne all along, because I love you. Go on, I can take it. I've heard many women say it to me before."

Saturna couldn't look at him anymore, and said as much.

Kael'thas reached over and snatched up her shirt.

"Kael'thas! Stop it, what are you doing!"

Though she struggled, he got his bare palm over her stomach, and felt it.

After a few awkward moments of this, Saturna had enough. "Now I've got a warning for you, Kael'thas Sunstrider! You have one chance to get your insensitive hands off of me!"

He didn't listen to her. "Oh Saturna… oh my sweet, sexy Starshine." he began to kiss her. She resisted it only for a little while. "You really _are_ carrying my child… a son, in fact. If my father were still alive… Well, after he killed me for getting you with a bastard Sunstrider, he'd be happy for me. But this is amazing! Sure, I'm scared out of my damned mind, but, I can't help feeling good about it. Me? A father!" he hugged Saturna.

"Wait a minute Kael'thas… How can you possibly know all of that about our baby? And, you're not upset about the news?"

He cuddled against her. "When Fennore told you it was just indigestion and I saw that look on your face, I guessed what the matter really was. I simply assumed that it was Blaize's child because we haven't been together for very long. But, for the briefest of moments, I remember… I felt jealous. I wanted it to be mine. It was such an intense feeling that suddenly took hold of me. It frightened me, and I settled on loathing Blaize instead, rather than ask you outright. Being mad at him again was far easier than… This is outrageous! I never get the girl, never! But how did this even happen? I always… every single time…" He raised his eyebrows. "Except for…" he got up and looked over at the golden mosaic in the middle of the shrine floor. "Of course…" he smacked his forehead. "The convergence of lei lines, our addiction to arcane magic would have been sufficiently distracting… my little high from Illidan…"

"Kael'thas?"

"I'm… sort of figuring out that I forgot to use protection that time."

Saturna was already shaking her head. "I don't have a clue what you are talking about."

He cleared his throat. "The Sunstriders have many rich family traditions, including my ancestor Dath'remar's heirloom Mageblade, passing along the right to ascend the throne in Silvermoon—well for most of us anyways—and of course, a little magic trick to prevent bastard Sunstriders from running around before their time. I'm really not going to get into how it works exactly. But, think, Saturna. Haven't you ever wondered why there have never been any illegitimate claims to the throne? Since I left there should have been at least a handful, like the way the Humans fuss over the throne in Stormwind… but there weren't. That is because my father taught me, and his father taught him, and so on, how to use our unique Sunstrider magical gift to control the siring of heirs."

"And to test if the woman is lying?" Saturna heated.

Kael'thas laughed nervously. "Something like that. Saturna, I'm so sorry… but you won't believe how many women I've slept with who tried to pull the wool over my eyes. Nearly every date I ever went on when--the Sun forbid--I got lucky, as early as the next week it was, 'Kael'thas you have to make me your queen', 'Kael'thas you need to have me included on your father's will now' or 'I'm going to name him Kael'thas Junior, so you have to marry me to avoid scandal.' And one woman, she had the audacity to bring it up the next morning, she was still so drunk. Like she would even know that soon!" He let forth a deep, disappointed sigh. "Now you know why I was so bitter when we first met."

"Yes, I was about to observe the same thing." She folded her arms across her chest. "But this little magic trick… you forgot to use it before we had sex that night you got high with Illidan," she couldn't help scolding him, "and now you just used it to check the paternity of my child?"

"Mind you, I can't tell a woman who the father is, just find out whether or not it's my child."

"And the gender? It's got to be far too early to tell something like that?"

"It's a boy. My father taught me… it's a long and embarrassing story, but just trust me on this one." He looked her in the eye. "You are having my son."

Saturna sank down into the pillows. Still fully dressed in his red regalia, Kael'thas got under the covers with her too.

"Of course I… talked about wanting to have a husband and a family… but you aren't my husband. And… I can't have a baby here, of all places."

Kael'thas always insisted that the work he was doing in Outland was risky but essential, that it was possible to live with the danger, that it was worth it. He didn't offer any objection to what she was saying now, which surprised Saturna. She decided not to bring it up, not now.

"I'm keeping the baby." Saturna decided. "I've thought about this a lot. I love you… I couldn't imagine doing anything different."

Kael'thas lay his head on her shoulder. "I'm relieved that you feel that way. I don't know how I'd take it if… you didn't want my evil spawn."

Saturna clucked her tongue. "Kael'thas don't say that!" she began to kiss him. "You are _not_ evil. Nor is your son. Both of you are precious to me."

"You hardly know either of us." He joked anxiously.

Saturna smiled sadly and unbuttoned Kael'thas'shirt she wore. He exhaled longingly over what she revealed to him, but resisted touching her.

"I know that… I am the luckiest woman in the world, to love you and be loved by you, Kael'thas Sunstrider."

He saw that she wasn't nervous about their new situation, but about his reluctance.

"Don't be afraid for the future, Kael'thas. Just... make love to me. Like you said to me this morning, no matter what, I feel the same way: all _I_ want is to be with _you_. I just want us to stay together, that's all." She undressed him too.

"I know you're right about the future Saturna. But, as for the other thing… wouldn't that hurt the baby?"

"No… not unless you ravage me like a rabid animal, the way you normally do."

Kael'thas paused.

"I'm joking!" She wrapped her arms around him and softened when he didn't laugh. "Kael'thas my love… For now, let's just celebrate this blessing."

He kissed her. "Just when I thought I was losing you, to your mission and all the secrets, to our disagreement over Illidan… I learn that you are having my son. And despite everything, you still want this child. You still want me. Yes, Saturna. That is exactly what this is, a blessing. I love you now, forever, always…"

"I love you too, Kael'thas, with everything that I have. I mean that. Now stop it, you're supposed to be the proud father, the stoic one. You are going to make me cry."

Once they were done making love and Saturna drifting off to sleep, Kael'thas pumped his arm in a silent triumphant 'Yes!' Saturna hid her smile and decided that she would let Kael'thas have that one geeky moment if he needed it.

After all the frustration he seemed to have experienced in his love life, Kael'thas most certainly deserved to celebrate. To fully enjoy the beautiful truth that, at last, he had won the girl.


	23. Return of the Queen

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Return of the Queen**

The next morning, on the ninth day of the prophecy, Kael'thas came to a sober realization.

"We can't tell anyone about the baby, can we Saturna?"

He stood on the heart of the golden mosaic, unable to just lie awake. Kael'thas was too excited, too happy to just do nothing. A few feet away in bed, Saturna hugged her knees and massaged her unsettled stomach.

"No, sweetheart… Though I was hoping to start this morning on a more pleasant topic than Illidan, let's say… coming up with baby names or setting a date for… well, nevermind. I think that last one is me getting too fangirl again." She sighed. "But you're right. We have to keep this a secret, for now."

Kael'thas frowned. "Wait, who said anything about Illidan? I was talking about _your _friends, the Bloodknights. They are the ones who can't be trusted. This thing you have to convince Pyorin and the others of… They will most certainly believe that you are biased now. Because of this baby, your mission is in more danger than it ever was before. I know you realize that when they hear the news, they will stop trusting you." Then, he bristled, "And I'm glad you caught yourself over that 'set a date' thing. Just because you are carrying my child does _not_ mean we are going to get married Saturna, just like that. You're not the only one looking forward to marrying someone special one day, and for the right reasons."

Saturna opened her mouth, felt at a loss for just the right words, and then ended up checking her temper. "At first… I was going to say something really terrible to you, about shirking your responsibilities as a father, bad-mouthing my friends, caring more for Illidan than for me… or all three. But when I realized that this is old-hat for you, acting like a jerk and a bully when you get so nervous that you don't know how else to solve a problem, I decided to say this instead: Kael'thas my love… this is me, your girlfriend, asking you to step up."

Kael'thas raised an irritated eyebrow at her. "Excuse me? I'm the master of Tempest Keep, I am leading all kinds of important experiments to heal much of the magical damage done to our homeland by Arthas. I risked my life, gave up my throne, everything, just to do it. And you're asking _me_ to step up? Step up what? The illogically high level of expectation that you and everyone else already has for me, that I should go home and further busy myself with sentencing purse-snatchers in Murder Row and signing bills that will keep Ranger Rick from letting his lynx get out into Farmer John's Hawkstrider ranch again?" Kael'thas crossed his arms. "You've got to be kidding me, Saturna! I couldn't possibly step up and take any _more_ responsibility for the sin'dorei than I already have."

"Look you! Whether you like it or not, you are a father. And, whether you want to see it or not, your friend Illidan is a threat to our child. Do you honestly think that, after the way he reacted to you rejecting his offer of brotherhood, that he would allow an innocent baby to come between the two of you as well? As if your swollen ego weren't enough in our way, and no doubt in his too!"

Kael'thas gasped at her. Never before had Saturna seen him so offended, so caught off guard.

"Woman, you wound me to the quick! You have three bungling musketeers, one an ex-Ranger with a Thalassian military hero complex, the other an ex-Priest with a Demon fetish, and the last… well Sunthraze is just a smart-mouthed jackass! All of them watching your every move, all the while trying to somehow rub two moral and magical contradictions together and get righteousness out of it. Bloodknights as saviors! The very idea! Nor can I believe that you of all people dragged them all the way out here on a noble mission to save my soul? Come on now. Admit it, Saturna, you just wanted me, to sleep with me and see what it was like, and maybe even to get yourself—"

Saturna walked quickly from the bed and clamped a hand over Kael'thas' mouth. "Do you really want to go right back to where we started, when you were accusing of me of not really caring about you, when you found my heartfelt and well, yes, obsessive dedication to you repulsive? Are you that terrified now, as you were then? So frightened for the future that you would rather regress to a past full of comfortable knowns... Are you truly willing to throw everything we've worked for together away, just so that you'll feel better?"

Kael'thas slowly reached up and removed Saturna's hand. "Illidan might be crazy, he might be mean sometimes…"

"Sometimes!"

"Alright, he's not much better than a monster, but he is still a good person deep down, a mortal person. And, he is my friend." Kael'thas softened. "Saturna, I can't believe that you would think him capable of something like that, of hurting our son? An innocent baby? No… no, you're wrong."

"Nor would my friends, _our_ friends Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthrazewould... They would never do that to us. Alright, so becoming a father all of a sudden scares you. Look, I'm scared too. If there is one thing my parents forbade me to do, even if I lied, cheated, stole, or slept around at Court--which thankfully I never had the chance to do because I became a Bloodknight first before they could make me—they never ever wanted me to come home pregnant and unwed."

Kael'thas smirked. "Not even if it was the Prince's child?"

"I wish you could meet my mother… she'd say, 'Not even the Prince of Quel'thalas will marry a woman if he can get the milk for free,' or my personal favorite, 'Heirs sit on thrones…"

"…Not bastards." Kael'thas finished for her. At last he slipped into a smile. "Saturna, I think we have a lot more in common than you think. My father used to tell me the same thing. I… I believe I understand what you mean now. Perhaps things aren't as bad as I think."

Saturna reached down and took his hands. "I don't want to pressure you about anything. I told you last week, when I found out you had become Illidan's Second in Command, that you deserve a chance to make up your own mind about Quel'thalas, or Illidan, and now you're wrestling with how to be a good father in this situation. Kael'thas… you mean so much to so many people, and then aside from that you're just so talented and caring… I'm lucky to know you. All of us are. Of course you need time to ready yourself, to come to the brilliant conclusions that only you are capable of discovering."

Kael'thas lowered his eyes, he seemed to think he was unworthy of her compliments. Saturna nervously went on, "So... let's forget about marriage for now, just forget it entirely." She snapped her fingers then started laughing. "There, it unhappened. And even the baby names… But Kael'thas you have got to accept that, in the wrong hands, this news of you having not just a child but a potential heir to the Thalassian Throne, even if we decide not to go quite that far… it's a threat. Your going back home to Silvermoon City is a threat to Illidan, and most certainly to Lady Vashj, the one who recruited you for Illidan in the first place."

"Saturna, I think she'd be more angry at the prospect of you becoming an actual queen while she's still just pretending."

Saturna knew that it wasn't the best time to make jokes but she couldn't help laughing at Kael'thas' timely shot at the terrifying Naga woman. "What's with that, anyway? Everyone knows that Azshara is the Queen of the Naga, and she goes around calling herself royalty? I think Lady Vashj and Illidan could probably share a padded cell together."

Kael'thas grimaced. "You have no idea. But, really Saturna… you must know that I'm right too, about Pyorin and the others. Real friends don't… they don't make you fear for the life of your unborn child." He hugged her.

Saturna uneasily hugged Kael'thas back. "I'm not afraid of them… though, it sounds like you are."

"And you are likewise afraid of Illidan."

At a loss for what to do or say next, Kael'thas looked up into the white beam of sunlight that cascaded down on them from the ruined ceiling stories above. Saturna watched him hoping, searching… Blood Elves don't pray. Saturna and Kael'thas studied the light, wondered if they had the magic to counter the challenges that lay ahead.

Saturna took a nervous breath and asked the inevitable. "Are you so unafraid of Illidan because… you know, absolutely, through the Soul Link, that he doesn't know about the baby already?"

Kael'thas kissed the mother of his child. "He doesn't. After our argument last night, I was so furious with him I just shut him out immediately after that dream ended. I can never turn the Soul Link off, nor can Illidan, but we both certainly know how to stifle certain emotions coming across in order to have privacy. After everything that happened yesterday, with the baby and all, I knew that I had to check on Illidan eventually, to make sure that he didn't get anything from my private conversations with you. He didn't, Saturna. Illidan is just… he's depressed. I've never felt him so sad before, so hopelessly dejected." Kael'thas again looked up at the heavens far above, through the broken stone dome. "But I don't care what Illidan thinks. I can't. It's his own damned fault, for lying to me all these years, and being so selfish!"

Kael'thas' words echoed in the Golden Shrine. Saturna could physically feel his anger as he held her tightly and the walls seemed to shout the reverberations of his voice in an echo that took too long to fade. Saturna began to get that old feeling again… that she was afraid of Kael'thas. But this was paternal rage directed at anyone who would dare endanger herself or their unborn son. Secretly, she let herself adore how mean Kael'thas could be… when he used his ferocity for the right things.

Kael'thas kept thinking aloud. "Illidan could ruin us, your friends could ruin us, Lady Vashj would bury us… and no matter what you think, Saturna, Silvermoon would have a field day with us."

"I realize that." She heatedly responded to the very last of what he said.

"There is only one solution. We need to somehow get through these next few days of the prophecy, without anyone catching on… and then I'll take us back to Tempest Keep. We can start over there in Netherstorm, the three of us."

"Kael'thas, Tempest Keep is no place to raise a child! It's considered a dungeon to countless raiding guilds. Now, despite their current show of incompetence, raiders _can_ eventually do a great deal of harm. A lot like... termites or cockroaches. They just keep coming back and multiplying..." she raised her white eyebrows. "I won't have my son around that!"

"And when were you going to tell me this Saturna, that you don't want our son around his father because he is too dangerous?"

Saturna rubbed an eye. "I wasn't saying that, exactly. The way you fight, so ruthless… I was just thinking that sometimes it can be a good thing, Kael'thas. But that's beside the point. Whether you're right about where our family is going to live or I am… we're arguing about the future again. After the ball, both of us said we wouldn't do that." Kael'thas' apologetic hug let Saturna know he was sorry, even if he was too riled up at the moment to let go his pride and say it. "Love, let's just continue to take this one day at a time. For now, Illidan can't find out. Lady Vashj doesn't need to know either, nor can my friends—_our_ friends—find out about this baby. Can we agree to that at least?"

"That's fine by me. Now, the only thing that remains is covering up a pregnancy… Honestly, I've got no magic to help with that." He worried.

Saturna smiled. "Don't worry Kael'thas. Beyond being able to attract a husband, the second most important thing a Lady of the Thalassian court learns from her mother is how to cover up a pregnancy. That's the other reason why my parents were opposed to me becoming an unwed mother…" she grumbled. "Not when they trained me to hide it so well…"

Kael'thas frowned. "Well, that's dishonest, isn't it? Had you made it through your cotillion and been introduced into polite society, _that_ would be the sort of Saturna I might have eventually met? I can't say that I would have been attracted to you, had I ever come back from Dalaran."

"You wouldn't have liked me, nor would I have liked myself." Then, Saturna squinted an eye. "Kael'thas, the more I tell you about my background, the less I believe that you are actually the Prince of Quel'thalas. Didn't your father tell you that the Thalassian Court is one big gossip mill, a circus of scandal? A triathlon of bribes, bed-sharing and back-scratching? Ladies sleep with whomever they need to, in order to get ahead. If, for example, Lady Mary Sue spent the night with the Lord of House Vermillion to keep him from selling the deed to her family's land, why should the repercussions of that destroy her chances to marry the Lord of Tranquillien? And so on and so forth… for that very reason, the high empire waist dress became fashionable, to hide growing stomachs, etcetera, etcetera… One concealed pregnancy coming up."

"Oh… okaaay. Well, what do I have to do then?"

"Just act naturally, Kael'thas. And no bragging to anyone, I know you!" she waggled a finger.

"Ah, so… no sending a phoenix to circle Theramore Isle carrying a banner that says, 'Kael'thas is a proud father, and he's SO over you.' Is out?"

"And that's another thing. The more you joke about Jaina Proudmoore, the less I'm convinced that you're over her. So STOP DOING IT!"

"Sorry… Laughing at my horrible failures… it's just an old habit."

"Well, no more of that. Now you are the big sexy Bloodmage who not only conquered nearly all of Outland but also knocked me up in his spare time. That's more than enough to be proud of." Then, she gave the grinning Kael'thas a pat on the back and went to get ready for the day.

It really was the worst sort of secret to keep at the Black Temple. Where rumors are concerned in the stronghold of a Demon Lord's minions, besides someone turning up dead, someone turning up pregnant was the most tantalizing sort of gossip. Kael'thas did his very best not to brag or hint at anything, but he was unable to just 'turn off' his paternal concerns. He was a proactive, natural-born leader and that affected every aspect of his personality. Saturna tried, but failed many times to calm him down, to tell him that she was months away from being in any sort of bedridden state. But it made no difference. At last, Kael'thas threatened to set one too many people on fire for bumping into Saturna as they walked up and down the Main Causeway together. Futhermore, he insisted on going everywhere with Saturna, to watch over her. He forbade her from raiding, and when she informed him that he couldn't forbid her from doing anything, Prince or no, Kael'thas forbade General Blaize from letting her raid.

Kael'thas' strange possessive behavior that was fast approaching Blaize proportions, combined with Saturna's obvious morning sickness, turned out to encourage people to believe the worst.

Pyorn, Sunthraze, and Fennore took the convincing rumors especially hard.

"Bloodknights, report!" Saturna greeted them in the short Sunfury Barracks hallway for Morning Inspection a few days later.

Pyorin spoke for everyone. "You didn't tell us. How could you keep that from us? You're treating us, your friends, like traitors." Then he added confidentially, "Saturna, I never expected this kind of behavior from the Mother Whiteblade!"

"Look, you guys, it's not really—"

"Excuse me? I think she believes this is some sort of discussion, Fennore." Sunthraze nudged their blonde healer in the side. "She actually thinks that we would speak to her, would regard her as anything less than a traitor for choosing Kael'thas over us, again. And speaking of a certain royal person… my opinion of him has definitely taken a dive. How could a man who loves you treat you like that, Saturna? I'm starting to wish… Well, now I really believe it should have been me on that night."

"Sunthraze!" Saturna gasped.

Fennore spoke up last, after shaking his head at cheeky Sunthraze. "Saturna, in all seriousness… This saddens me. It saddens all of us. How could you treat us like this, like the enemy? When I joined the Blood Nexus, you made it seem like this amazing organization. But all we ever do is," he lowered his voice, "plot against Kael'thas and worry each other over whether or not the Mother Whiteblade is going to stab us all in the back. That's not right. And besides this being great news, a new life and a reason to celebrate, because of our status as Nexites, Saturna you feel like you have to do everything in your power to prevent us from sharing your joy. Really I'm… we're all so hurt--"

"That's enough, Fennore." Pyorin reached an arm between them, and cut Saturna off when she struggled to explain herself. "You did us wrong, Commander. This fangirl stuff has finally gone too far. I'm starting to think that you aren't fit to be Mother Whiteblade afterall. Just as unfit as Kael'thas is to still have a claim to the throne." Pyorin didn't flinch at all when Saturna raised both white eyebrows, outraged. Pyorin continued to say, "In fact as young as you are, as naïve and silly… maybe Lady Liadrin was misguided to name you in the first place. If it weren't for… if you weren't carrying his child, you know the sort of confrontation we'd be having right now."

Sunthraze put a hand on Pyorin shoulder. "No, Brother Tank, I think you've got Saturna all wrong. She's actually very clever, isn't she?"

Saturna didn't like where this was going.

"You got pregnant on purpose, didn't you. Was this your plan B, to guilt us into helping you save Kael'thas? Well it's not going to work!"

"How dare you! I would never do something like that. It was an honest mistake, we got carried away one day…" she got flustered. "How could you say something like that to me? That really hurts, Sunthraze, that you would think me that deceitful, as conniving as a Naga?" Saturna wiped at her eyes. "I've not changed over night. Maybe I couldn't lie to you all about this, I failed to fool you into thinking that this pregnancy was just a rumor... but that's it. I'm still Saturna. I'm not a bad person, just for loving Kael'thas… Surely, you understand how unfair that is!" Saturna ended up looking at Fennore last, for some sign of forgiveness. Fennore was new to all of this and didn't seem sure of what was going on. He chose to avert his eyes with the others, though.

Saturna knew that she should say something back, to defend herself and Kael'thas. But hearing her own second in command, and a man who felt like her friend and brother say something like that… Saturna was crushed. She kept standing like a Bloodknight, looking cold and detached like a Bloodknight, but inside she ached. It was tempting to give into what Pyorin and the others thought of her, to agree that she was a failure so that everyone could make up and feel better again. Pyorin took a step forward, clearly waiting for her answer to all the rumors, and his accusations.

Saturna started in a shaky voice. "I know… in my heart that this is the right thing, for you and the rest of the Blood Nexus, for me, for Kael'thas, for our country. And maybe you all do have a point. It _is_ sad that I went to these extremes and lied to you. I didn't think that you would understand." Saturna exhaled nervously as she gained the courage to do what Kael'thas so often found the strength to do, acting coldly, without his heart, but practically with his mind. "Clearly… I was right. You don't."

Sunthraze and Fennore were shocked at her boldness. Pyorin made fists and turned his back to Saturna, stepped right in front of her. Saturna stood her ground as she watched her Second in Command make his decision. He no longer respected her, would no longer listen to her. Pyorin ordered the other Bloodknights to disperse in a loud voice, and ended Morning Inspection for her. They didn't have to accept Pyorin taking over. They had a choice. But, Sunthraze and Fennore saluted dutifully and followed Pyorin, not her.

The three Bloodknights turned sharply on their heels and filed back into their room. Saturna just stood there, disbelieving that it had got so bad between them. Though she knew better, she half-waited for the guys to come back out into the hallway and start laughing at their practical joke. They never did.

Many days of increasingly worse rumors later, and the end of the second week was finally drawing to a close. On the twelfth day of the prophecy, Kael'thas came home from the raid at the gates and saw Saturna lying in bed, looking especially lonely. He set aside his red regalia, slipped back into his dark night clothes and joined her. They stared through the red veil canopy, at the sparkling gold tile mosaic in the center of the floor.

"You miss them, don't you?" Kael'thas asked.

Saturna shrugged. "Why? Why would I miss them? They were only the best friends I've ever had, like my own brothers." Kael'thas started to look sad too, and encouraged her to lay her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry that you had to do it… but don't forget that, Saturna. You _had _to do it. In your place, I would have done the same."

Saturna sniffled. "You know, that's why I went through with it, telling them the truth. Kael'thas, could this be why you had so much trouble coming up? Did you have to push people away like this, just to survive?"

"Only in extreme situations did I have to give up what rare friends I had." He made a show of clearing his throat. "The rest was me biting the other kids and setting them on fire. Then I grew into an awkward teenager and that was about repressing the urge to bite the girls and set them on fire. You're witness to the fact that the strategy didn't work out so well when I at last became an adult."

Saturna laughed right out loud. "Oh, our poor little monster-baby… Well, on the bright side, with Illlidan and Pyorin and the others taken care of—even if I couldn't manage to lie to them and they outright rejected me _and_ the baby in response—I guess that all we have to do now is keep on pretending and hope Lady Vashj doesn't believe it."

Kael'thas was staring at her.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Monster is not coming from _my_ side of the family. If anything, it's going to come from the zealous Bloodknight, psycho fangirl maternal side."

Saturna reached up and pulled him into a grateful kiss. Kael'thas always had a way of brightening her day… Well, when he wasn't scaring the hell out of her, he could be a sweetheart.

There was a knock on the door. The Sunfury Guards just outside announced Advisor Sorn, and Kael'thas bid him entry.

"Yes, Sorn?"

The old man took half a look at them in bed together, and doubled back.

"Will you use your monocle if you need it you blind old fool! We're not doing anything, Sorn. Come here, and tell me what the matter is."

"You've been personally invited to a Victory Party in your honor, Your Majesty." He bowed his head. "In anticipation of the Blood Elves' victory over the raiders tomorrow morning, on the thirteenth day of the prophecy, the Naga Queen asks me to personally convey her warmest invitation to you and your lady at the Lagoon."

Kael'thas huffed. "Why the thirteenth day? Besides that being an unlucky number, technically the last day the raiders will try to take this place will be the day after, when all fourteen days are up."

Sorn shook his head. "I see that because someone was distracted with temple gossip, he has not been keeping abreast of General Blaize's security reports. Our spies tell us that the raiders have no intention of being anywhere near the Black Temple when Illidan transforms."

Kael'thas laughed. "They're cowards then."

"They're being very smart about this, if you ask me. I know Lord Illidan as well as you do. He's not one to be around when he's in a bad mood. Besides, their attacking him at that point would be like going blind into a fight. Nothing that they have learned so far from fighting so many different enemies could ever prepare them for a final showdown with Illidan. Perhaps at the start, they were confident that they could learn his… boss encounter, as it were. But your brilliant General prevented that strategy from ever getting off the ground."

"Oh." Kael'thas stared off into space for a moment, unwilling to qualify Sorn's statement, that Blaize was a good leader. "Well, regardless of the timing… It doesn't matter really, Sorn. We're not going to anything planned by Lady Vashj."

Saturna grabbed Kael'thas arm. "It could be a trap."

"Yes, I know. That's why I just said—"

"No, you don't understand. 'Oh, I have a headache,' or 'My Lady can't make it,' those are all the classic excuses when a woman is pregnant at Court and can't be seen in public. If we decline, then she'll assume the worst. And she's in charge of the rumor mill at the Black Temple. If we don't show up and defend ourselves, then she gets to spin it however she wants. In a way, Kael'thas, Lady Vashj's invitation is not a nicety. It's a threat. She's demanding to know what's going on."

"All that from a party invitation? I'm so glad that I was raised to sit on a throne and have women come to me, not the other way around."

Saturna grunted. "Yes, I excel at clawing other women out of the way, to marry the Prince of Quel'thalas, just like my parents wanted. Tell the good Lady Vashj that the Prince and his _Lady_ will be there. The word 'queen' had better not ever leave your mouth Sorn, for all our sakes. Oh, and also tell her thank you."

Kael'thas whispered to Saturna while Sorn walked away with their message. "Are you sure about this, Starshine? Because once we say we're going to show up… we pretty much have to do it."

She nodded. "Yes, and don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't slip you any Shuru'kaal this time. I wouldn't want the father of my child to wake up in the arms of a viperous, Naga witch!"

"I'd say the same for you. Heh. Oooh, but… I think I like it when you get jealous of other women, over me."

Saturna eased into shy smile. "You just play the Prince of Quel'thalas, and I'll go back in time and be Lady Saturna Mageblade for an evening. We'll fool her. Between the two of us, we can set everyone straight. There will be no threatening of _my_ family."

As expected, Friday morning's raid went off without a hitch. At the part when the raiders had finished General Blaize's boss encounter, and were supposed to reach Saturna's, she wasn't there. A lot of swearing came from the Human warrior who appeared to be the Guild Master. Kael'thas decided his swearing was offensive in his royal presence and sent a phoenix to shut them all up, even the ones who weren't complaining. Free at last, all the Sunfury soldiers cheered and chatted excitedly about what they were going to wear or drink at Lady Vashj's first victory party in a long time.

A rumor spread that there would be no Shuru'kaal at this event, which didn't sit well with a lot of the less attractive types in the Black Temple. See? Told you it would get nerfed.

Kael'thas never came to these events and used that leverage to convince Lady Vashj to set up a private section of the party for himself and his date. Saturna was secretly very impressed by this, but knew better than to jump all over Kael'thas in this situation. She needed to appear conservative, like the sort of woman who would never allow herself to get pregnant out of wedlock, who wouldn't even dare sleep with a man who wasn't her husband. It really wasn't easy to do. The whole Black Temple already knew how sexually intense she and Kael'thas were, and some people snickered when they saw Saturna in a sensible dress buttoned up to her neck. Just like he had been earlier in the week, Kael'thas was no help. In addition to the spiteful glances he gave many people, he whispering to his date, discreetly offering to open every single button. Apparently, seeing Saturna all covered up was even more enticing. Well, at least that was balanced by Saturna having to slap Kael'thas' hands away every few moments. That helped promote the proper image of the 'ever-chaste' Saturna Whiteblade at last.

Their sheer turquoise tent had been set up by the furthermost edge of the lagoon. Bright cerulean water lit up the darkness and complimented their tent in the blue semi-night within that North Wing the Naga called home. White lotus flowers and lily pads floated on the water along with tiny rose-colored scented candles. Harp music played somewhere along the narrow western bank of the large indoor lake. To the southeast of Kael'thas and Saturna, most of the party guests hovered around a table laden with appetizers, glasses of wine, Kael'thas frowned to see a small pile of arcane crystals too. Mostly everyone there was a Blood Elf, the Demons and Fel Orcs were denied at the gates until it seemed most of the Sunfury had arrived. Everyone at the party could see their Prince's tent. That was the point, for the guest of honor to be seen, to be at the party, but yet maintain the sophisticated privacy a royal person was meant to have.

Armored Naga guards lingered around the eventual server who came by with food and drinks for Kael'thas and Saturna. They kept a watchful eye on the Sunfury soldiers who came by in small groups to pay their respects to their Prince. Saturna thought she saw Sunthraze and the others among the crowd but wasn't sure. She didn't bother worrying why they hadn't stopped by to say hello by mid-evening.

Kael'thas took advantage of the elaborate tent flaps that obscured the guests' view of their Prince, but not his view of everyone else. "No one can see us now…" he started to undo the front of Saturna's simple navyblue number that beyond all the carefully fastened buttons, fit close to show off as much as her middle as possible. Hopefully, people would be fooled by her early mother's stomach, that didn't look with child in any way.

"No, there are always eyes Kael'thas. Don't ever assume that you aren't being watched, even if this is a casual event. You might as well be standing before the Convocation Silvermoon, or in the Thalassian throne room, surrounded by your political rivals. I don't care that this looks like a merry occasion. There are pitfalls at every turn. Now, Kael'thas stop!" She scooted away from him on the cushions. A low polished mahogany table was set before them. "We've been doing too much of that already, don't you think?"

Kael'thas gave up, and finished sipping his wine to cover that he was self-conscious about the small rejection, "So it begins… what else goes after the sex does, my nights out with the guys?"

"But Kael'thas, you're a hopeless bookworm!" she snapped back, "You never go out—"

Lady Vashj entered the tent. They both jumped, she'd managed to sneak up on them somehow. She wore a beautiful black dress but other than that, looked haggard and very annoyed. Lady Vashj forced a smile.

"Enjoying yourselvesss?" her two consorts smiled fiendishly beside her. They wore frivolous gold armor and thick studded rings on their fingers. And, of course, their usual gold collars.

"They're armed," Saturna whispered to Kael'thas. He nodded. Then aloud she said, "Yes, we are enjoying ourselves, my Queen. Thank you."

"Too late to pander to me now." Lady Vashj didn't look at Saturna while she spoke. "Might I interest you in an arcane crystal, Prince Kael'thas?"

"Very kind of you, but I've given those up." He managed to give Saturna a non-sexual hug for once. "My Starshine wisely helped me over them, a few months ago. Hadn't you noticed?"

"I only thought that an arcane crystal might relax you—"

"Their mere presence at this event is a might offensive, actually, since I'm trying to resist." Below the table, Saturna nudged him cautiously with her elbow.

Lady Vashj settled herself on a plush pillow across the table from them. "I wouldn't dare rip them from your soldiers' hands, they seem to be enjoying the treats so much. But, if you insist," she raised her hand, ready to make some signal.

"No, it's alright." Saturna leaned forward, then eyed Kael'thas. "He was just joking around, is all."

Lady Vashj gave a light, empty laugh.

"Why you don't look pregnant at all, Sssaturna!" Lady Vashj gave another fake smile and folded her claws in her lap. Her two consorts chuckled. "How _do_ you manage it?"

Saturna forced herself to laugh too. "Why there's no 'managing' involved. Not when there was never a baby in the first place."

"Is that ssso…" Lady Vashj turned to Kael'thas next. "I would think a man of your ssstation would be deeply offended to have a woman reject his seed. That child would be the heir to Quel'thalasss, would he not?"

Kael'thas put down his drink. The pressure of his fingers on Saturna's shoulder made her flinch. "Why would you dare insinuate something like that? As if this rumor wasn't bad enough, now you are going a step further and suggesting that the woman I love had my child destroyed? You spiteful sea witch, is this how you intend to get your information, but insulting my manhood—"

"My dear, I daresay it is working." Saturna mumbled under her breath, and Kael'thas had to check his anger.

"He's really had too much wine," Saturna excused him.

Lady Vashj grinned. "Which reminds me…" she signaled and a server came up holding a tray of wine goblets. "It seems, Lady Whiteblade, that you haven't had any alcohol yet this evening? I hope you aren't holding out on us?"

Kael'thas watched as Saturna took a deep breath, reached out, and selected a glass. He kept looking at her with concern the entire time she played with her drink, and at last raised it to her lips…

"Starshine, there's a hair in that." He lied at the last moment and took the alcohol away.

Lady Vashj raised up immediately and accused them. Perhaps it was too fast, she reached around and comforted an ache in her back before proclaiming, "Aha! You _are _pregnant aren't you? That is why you won't drink what I've offered you, the finessst wine in all of Outland—"

Kael'thas raised a very pretentious eyebrow at Lady Vashj. "Really, you offer _my _date a drink with a hair in it and all of a sudden she's pregnant? If your head wasn't covered in snakes, I'd say you were getting old and shedding into everything… but clearly, it's worse than that; a dirty glass. That is outrageous, Lady Vashj! And is it poisoned too? No doubt all your rumors have grown overzealous enemies for Saturna overnight, now that she's supposedly carrying my child! I will go and see to a fresh glass myself!"

He stalked out of the tent in a fake fit, argued loudly with the Naga server, sent him away, and while he was gone and Kael'thas' back was turned, he conjured a fairly good imitation of Naga wine, except it was really water, and returned to pour a glass for his girlfriend.

When the server came back with a new glass, too late, Kael'thas said, "And you're slow! I had to go find someone else."

The server bowed, ashamed, and slithered away.

Lady Vashj wasn't a fool. "Water into wine… not a hard trick for a Bloodmage."

"Lady Vashj, just admit that you've finally meddled too far, and with the wrong people—" Saturna began to say.

"You cheap, ssstupid bimbo!" Lady Vashj suddenly flared. "You're young and attractive, but what will he enjoy about you when you age? I am thousands of years old, I possess real charm, real beauty. I am more powerful than you will ever be. Of course you were a sssilly girl and got yourself pregnant! Of courssse you found your way to the Black Temple before that, to seduce him. And Kael'thas!" she turned on him next. "I know what is really going on here. This is the only woman you've been able to call your own, in your entire life, and she can do no wrong in your eyesss. Well, I'll have both of you know that you two did not have a chance in hell until me. The two of you too childish and awkward to have ever crossed pathsss on your own. I'm surprisssed you even successfully managed to create a child. I hear that you and she went about it ignorantly the first time, joining the wrong ends together! I know what you are really up to, just admit it. You can't outsssmart me!"

Saturna stood, got ready to scream at the other woman. Kael'thas, also flushed, reached up and pulled on Saturna's arm so that she would sit back down. He gave her a look. _I'll handle this…_

Kael'thas took another sip of wine, while he composed himself. "I see your back is sore."

Lady Vashj blinked. "It's nothing, I—"

"… Threw it out doing something unbefitting a queen, no doubt? Perhaps you strained it, trying to pick up something heavy? Fell down the stairs to your own temple…"

These weren't questions. Lady Vashj began to look frightened. "No… You wouldn't dare—"

Kael'thas raised his voice near to a shout so that people across the lake could hear their conversation. "Or perhaps, Lady Vashj, you threw out your back having wild sex with the Demon Lord of Outland!"

As Saturna warned him earlier, people were always listening. Blood Elves across the Lagoon heard and started chatting about it instantly. Lady Vashj's consorts became angry with her, which neither Kael'thas nor Saturna had ever seen them do before, and started arguing with her. They hissed loudly and Lady Vashj had to scream over them to get them to be quiet. Clearly, she and the Naga men under her service weren't enthralled with her, exactly. They all had some sort of strange arrangement going on. Whatever the careful rules were, it was evident that they did not involve Lord Illidan.

The consort on the right broke his silence unexpectedly and dared to speak up, "How did you know this, Blood Elf Prince?"

Lady Vashj looked at her personal guardian, and what else he was to her, was anyone's guess.

"Through the Soul Link of course. Illidan doesn't tell me most things, but every once in a while intense emotions break through." He narrowed his eyes at Lady Vashj. "At first, I felt nothing, was enjoying a very peaceful sleep in the Golden Shrine some nights ago. But then, as dawn was breaking, a horrible twisted moan reached my ears, when you removed your smiling lips from his cock, and he came."

Saturna gasped and covered her mouth, shocked and disgusted at his language and the revelation.

Kael'thas Sunstrider raised his glass, as if in toast. "Now we all know how you've been getting Illidan to do favors for you this entire time. To the Whore Queen."

Lady Vashj screeched up a storm, swatted sharp claws at her fussing loud consorts. It got so loud and so embarrassing, she was forced to depart. Kael'thas and Saturna heard the three of them arguing furiously all the way around the Lagoon and finally up the stairs to her temple beyond. The party had hushed. When people spoke again, the words 'Lady Vashj' and 'whore' were most apparent.

Saturna just looked at Kael'thas, her date.

"You… I thought you were just making that up."

"Nope." He looked only at his drink.

"Then she really—"

"Illidan told me himself, but he didn't have to. I wish he had better control over the Soul Link right now… I'll never get that terrible image out of my head." He frowned, drained his glass, and quickly poured himself another from the conjured bottle. "Ugh, I forgot this was just water. "Server! Over here… I need something stronger, have you got any rum? As close to a hundred proof as you can get… And no Shuru'kaal!"

Saturna squeezed her eyes shut. "I… there's too much implied in what you just said, but next time, if you have to go so far, I'd appreciate a warning first."

Kael'thas' eyes were distant as he chugged the wine-scented water from the bottle. "And I thought walking in on Arthas and Jaina that time was bad."

After a long uncomfortable silence, Saturna asked. "Can we… um… go now?"

Kael'thas threw back one last glass of wine, stood without managing to sway too much, and then offered Saturna a hand up. "I thought you'd never ever ask."

Arm in arm, they were nearly to the door when Sunthraze rushed through the crowd and stopped them.

His unhappy gaze came to rest on Saturna when Kael'thas regarded him coldly.

"I need to talk to you."

"No, I don't think that you do." Kael'thas was a little tipsy and it showed. "I think that you have your own agenda. Say, where are your cronies anyway? Whatsit? The Lone Ranger and the paladin demonologist? What would you call that? A… pala-lock? A waradin… no that's stupid." He tapped his chin while Saturna got very uncomfortable. "No, let's just call it what it ish, a weirdo. A man who can turn himshelf inside out with a Light spell and then soulshtone himself when he dies… waaait… that could actually work. Heh. Then he really would seem _immortal_."

Sunthraze sighed. "Try making cool insults again, Kael'thas, next lifetime when you're not attached at the hip to a Demon Lord, making a mockery of the Thalassian throne, and wooing a woman who's far too good for you." Then he waited. "Did you get it? It's not a joke, you see. All those things are true."

"You know, what ish it about redheads that I want to set them all on fire…"

Saturna turned around and placed calm hands on Kael'thas' shoulders. She seized his attention with a kiss and said, "Calm down. Okay? We talked about your temper… just go home. I'll meet you there."

The Blood Elves celebrating around them began to stare.

"I'm not leaving you with this punk." Kael'thas reached across Saturna and grabbed a fistful of Sunthraze's shirt.

"Kael'thas!" she warned.

Slowly, Kael'thas who was the taller man, backed off. He had murder in his eyes. Saturna was both thrilled by his protective show of aggression and alarmed. The hopeless fangirl in her couldn't help an affectionate stroke down Kael'thas' back before he turned to leave. The savage warlock in Kael'thas got a firm arm around Saturna and stole a very ungentlemanly kiss, nearly lifting her off her feet before _he _left.

"In case that wasn't clear enough, don't be long Starshine. I don't like being kept waiting, not for the sort of night I'm ready to have with the woman _I _fought for, and won." He glanced down at Sunthraze, unable to hide the jealousy he still felt before this other man. Saturna was a little sad to see it. It wasn't that Kael'thas had become possessive all of a sudden. He was showing off because he still felt insecure.

Saturna watched Kael'thas go off agitated and alone. Now, more than ever, she wanted to race after the man she loved and reassure him. But, if there was any chance she could make up with Sunthraze and the others...

"So, what is it that you wanted to discuss?"

Sunthraze extended his elbow and then said he was escorting them to someplace private.

"Are you alright?" Saturna had to ask before long. His silence was unsettling. "How are Pyorin and Fennore?"

"I see you didn't defend either of them, in front of Kael'thas."

Saturna didn't apologize and Sunthraze seemed to feel that meant he didn't owe her any more kind conversation during their entire walk. He took them up the white stairs and inside of Lady Vashj's temple.

"Wait, where are you taking me…"

"Don't take this personally, Saturna. I'm only doing my job. She wanted to see you and I'm giving you to her, that's it."

"Sunthraze!" She had half a mind to run, but there were snarling Naga guards coming up the hallway behind them, closing in.

"After yesterday, the guys and I don't know what to think about you anymore. I, personally, don't want anything from you. This whole thing has been so exhausting… I don't want to fight anymore, I don't even have the energy to be cross with you, to hurt you… I didn't even want to come tonight. Maybe you noticed, or maybe you didn't because of that selfish liar and villain you decided to shack up with, but Pyorin and Fennore aren't here tonight. Lady Vashj wanted me to host, and I couldn't get out of it."

"Sunthraze, if you care about me at all, as your friend, then you will turn around and walk me back out of here. Kael'thas and I worked hard to stay out of Lady Vashj's clutches tonight, you know why. Please! For my sake, for the sake of the… Just don't give up on me like this."

Sunthraze became very angry then. "Kael'thas gave up on our people and our homeland, but we didn't give up on him. Not for one second did we give up on him, that's why we came here in the first place! But can we really go on serving someone so self-centered, so shamelessly villainous? You seem to have an excuse for everything he's ever done wrong. I refuse to believe that just because you are a woman and have feelings for him that you have some divine inspiration, a more pure perspective of the Prince than the rest of us Bloodknights. And we've been looking hard at Kael'thas over the last few months, very _hard_. There is nothing more than what meets the eye. He's sharing a Soul Link with Illidan because he's a sick, twisted warlock. He beat up his own General because he's a jerk. He kidnapped you to Nagrand—and I can't believe that we even helped him!—because he's a conniving backstabbing sonofabitch who doesn't feel anything for anyone, not even his supposed friend Illidan!"

They had stopped walking. The Naga Guards smiled down at Sunthraze with jagged toothy pride. Saturna pushed white hair from before her right eye, nervous. He couldn't mean… Sunthraze didn't really believe these things, did he?

She reached over to feel his forehead. "She's been working her glamours on you, hasn't she? Or else, maybe you have a fever—"

Sunthraze slapped her hand away.

"I'm fine! I've finally decided to believe what I wanted to believe about Kael'thas all along, before we came to the Black Temple, even. He's not worthy of the throne, and he's certainly not worthy of being anywhere near people like Illidan or Lady Vashj who are capable of doing such… devastating things in Outland." Here, Sunthraze became self-conscious and chose a neutral word that he hoped Lady Vashj would not be offended by. The Naga men watching carefully didn't flag in their support for him in the slightest.

"You've changed…" Saturna backed away from him. Naga guards grabbed her arms, took her sword away and ushered her forth.

Sunthraze folded his hands behind his back and watched while they delivered her through the aqua curtains at the head of the hallway, and into Lady Vashj's shrine.

"No, I've grown up, grown wise. You, Saturna, I fear you haven't grown up at all." At the last moment, before she completely disappeared, he found the strength stop them and say, "You aren't my Commander anymore. I'm this because it's my job right now. I am going to continue doing my job until this prophecy is over and then the others and I…" he left out the rest, because Lady Vashj was not meant to know that he, Fennore, and Pyorin were Nexites and above the law, and could go home to Silvermoon, switch sides in the war at any moment. "I think that this is just the universe balancing itself. Kael'thas wanted to use us to do his dirty work and now, because I've become so close with the Naga, I'm delivering his unjustly pilfered and abused girlfriend to someone who might finally talk some sense into her. Or, Saturna, maybe what you are about to do is lie in the bed you've made…" he glanced down at her stomach. "For a second time. Either way, your fate has nothing to do with mine. Not after all the pain you caused me and the others, not after all the lies. Not anymore."

The Naga guards hissed and snarled at Saturna as they brought her before their queen. There was some magical enchantment on the floor, it was a long glowing hand-made lei line. They slithered the length of it and then shoved her forward. Where the flow of bright arcane magic came to a head, Lady Vashj sat on a plush throne. She flicked her tail and looked down on Saturna.

"Yesss… I knew that I could always count on Sunthraze the Sssly. You know, you and so many others completely miss the genius of his nickname. He isn't jussst quick with his sharp tongue… He is a clever man. He is too clever to mindlessly place his loyalty in anyone. Thisss man thinksss for himself. He decidesss right and wrong on his own. For now... I am the only one who has never lied to him, never twisssted his arm or hurt him. Hisss Prince, hisss Commander... you mean nothing to him now. I have become hisss Queen in every way."

"You've brainwashed him!"

"No. Great minds think alike. He hasss only come to the same conclusion that I have regarding your Kael'thasss. Kael'thasss is a liar and a cheater. He is selfish and cruel. Furthermore, he is wasting my time and Lord Illidan's. Also yoursss…"

"Perhaps you've disarmed me but that doesn't matter. This isn't exactly enemy territory, Lady Vashj. I don't have to stay."

"Nor should you. I dissslike your presence."

Saturna hated what came next, the desire to defy Lady Vashj's opinion of her and stay anyway. The woman was charming in the most disorienting way, Saturna realized.

"Who the hell do you think you are, treating me or any Blood Elf like this! Aren't we all allies? I swear, if you try anything, Kael'thas will—"

"Oh yesss… your handsssome fairy tale Prince." Lady Vashj played with something in her lap. Saturna got nervous, she was unfamiliar with Naga magic and she heard that it was especially vile, rivaled the evil works the Burning Legion. However, Saturna took a better look and realized that it was just a gold bauble, a mere trinket. Of course Lady Vashj, who thought herself a queen, would surround herself with pointless nice things. She and Lady Vashj were still alone though, which Saturna worried about. Lady Vashj's consorts, her General Scyth'lerin, none of the familiar Naga faces were there in the room with them.

"How is that bull-headed male treasure working out for you, hmm? I hear such good thingsss…"

"I know that you are trying to trick me again."

"And I congratulate you on thwarting my plansss, but telling me that you know I am going to trick you. You _are_ improving, aren't you, Sssaturna? Such a clever, clever girl… Now, I wonder if you can guess the how? Then--oh by the Maelstrom!--Will I be completely undone!" she feigned a helpless whimper, tossed two of her four arms in the direction of her despairing glance up at the ceiling.

"Alright, now I'm going. Good night!"

"But don't you want thisss firssst?" Lady Vashj set the gold bauble back in its bowl with the other table settings. She picked up a tiny vial of something and slithered down the few stairs, before the lei-line.

"The last time you apologized for insulting me, you offered me a bottle of Shuru'kaal to make up for it. If you really think that I believe you're making peace now…"

Lady Vashj twisted her ugly sneer into a clever smile and motioned for her guest to come closer and see what it was for herself. "I was wrong to insssult you, really I was. My vanity always getsss the better of me. At that time, I really believed that giving you the best the Lagoon had to offer would make you feel better, after you had sssuch a rough evening with Kael'thas, and my loose tongue compounded your embarrassment. And, what happened afterward was a blessing, was it not? You ended up with the man of your dreamsss. I did well, didn't I? Now, I want to make you another offer, a deal impossible to pass up."

"Like the deal you made with Illidan, that wild night…"

The Naga woman waved a hand angrily, dismissing the notion. "What came to pass between Illidan and I… he is the Lord of Outland. Really, it was an honor, and I am his dutiful ssservant." The bile in her tone spoke the exact opposite, however. "But nevermind that! I now offer you another olive branch, if you may. I'd like to avoid another ssscene between us, like the one this evening. We really are having too many of them, aren't we? And we women should sssupport each other, help each other."

"What is that, and why in the world do you think I would ever again drink something you give me?"

"Because no woman should be without _this_, even women who are at odds. It's a contraceptive."

Saturna didn't know what to say. "I… I already take care of that, in my own way."

"But this is very good, the bessst. Made by your dear reptilian cousins, who were also once hedonist elves. You can take it days before, or after… it can prevent or end a pregnancy. Don't you want that, to be sssafe from future rumors ever coming up again? I meant this party to be a relaxing time for you, after you and your Prince fought ssso hard for victory. Surely, you will want to lie with him tonight, to make the night even better. I've ruled unopposed as Queen for thousands of yearsss… I haven't got any heirs, have I? And a woman should choose when she's ready to conceive, don't you think ssso? It solves a great deal of problems… like… getting with child in the middle of a war."

Lady Vashj reached out and yanked Saturna's hand open, placed the vial in her palm. "Drink it. Now."

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll wait—"

"There is no reason to wait. I told you that it can last for daysss before, or after. Do you reject Kael'thas? Is the sex with him so unappealing to you that you have no plans of bedding him ever again? Or, do you have your own plansss… Do you prefer to constantly put yourself at risk of having Kael'thas' heir?"

Saturna knew that the only way to fully convince Lady Vashj that there was no baby was to drink the potion. One way or another, there would be no baby, if Saturna did as she was asked. She opened the vial… and then let her hands slip so that the liquid spilled all over the floor. The white-hot lei line sparked and smoked as it evaporated the lavender mixture on contact. She shoved it back into Lady Vashj's hand.

The Naga Queen looked Saturna in the eye. "I don't suppossse… you want me to fetch another one for you? We have a great deal of that, and many other exotic goods in the Lagoon as you well know by now. And, I'm offering it on the houssse."

Saturna said nothing.

Lady Vashj smiled wide. "I sssee then. Well, I suppose that we are enemies now more than we ever were, sssince you rejected my innocent gesture, rejected me. It would be wise of you to leave, now Saturna Whiteblade, lessst you further tempt my wrath!"

A Naga guard handed Saturna the Corrupted Ashbringer on her way out. Trembling, she stood at the temple doors, wondering if she could sprint back the length of the hallway and kill Lady Vashj fast enough. But what good would that do? In fact it would hurt everyone because Lady Vashj was too important. And Saturna would be destroying Kael'thas' ally, Illidan's ally. Two powerful realizations jolted Saturna then. First, that Sunthraze might be right and second, that she herself—in the political arena of the Black Temple—was expendable. Lady Vashj, on the other hand, was not.

When Saturna got back to the Golden Shrine, Kael'thas, for all his posturing earlier, had fallen asleep. Saturna shoved him awake.

"This is what all your living on the fence has come to! She tried to make me get rid of our baby… spilling the potion, it was the only thing I could do. I couldn't let her force me… Kael'thas, she knows. I saw the look in her eyes. She knows that I don't want protection because we're already having a baby. What are we going to do? She didn't say it but I feel sure that she's going to tell Illidan."

Kael'thas grabbed her shoulders. "What are you talking about? Who gave you a potion? I thought you were just talking with Sunthraze…"

Saturna explained everything to him. The more she told, the more unsettled Kael'thas became. The possibility that both Lady Vashj and Illidan could be against him made Kael'thas nervous, and indecisive. Seeing his real fear disarmed Saturna in a way that she was not ready for. When the man who had been her rock, the vengeful Bloodmage who never flinched at anything, the proud father of her child at last faltered... she crumbled as well.

Saturna cried and just held Kael'thas when she finished. She wasn't sure if she was holding him to make him feel better, or to make herself feel better. Over these last few days, she finally gave into despair. She felt a failure of a Bloodknight, who could not protect her Prince any better than she could protect herself or their child.

Kael'thas closed his eyes, attempting to banish panic. "You… you just need to relax. Everything will be fine, and if he does something unpredictable… I'll think of something. Tonight, I'll make a plan for us. But for now, just sleep my love, and I'll take care of it in the morning."

"But everyone is against us now… whom will we turn to?"

That had been Lady Vashj's exact condition—alone, abandoned, and terrified--until this night. And that was no coincidence. At the very moment that Kael'thas comforted the mother of his child, the Naga woman slithered down the Main Causeway, flanked by Wave Commander Scyth'lerin and her consorts once again. They were going west.

Lady Vashj was not afraid of Illidan Stormrage anymore, unlike her rival. Collateral in hand, she was admitted into the Blackened Shrine and stood in Illidan's presence for the first time since the nightmare he gave her. She was there on her own terms, and Illidan lifted his head slightly from where he sat on his throne in the shadows. He sensed that the menace had returned to the Naga woman he thought... he had punished and broken.

Lady Vashj held up the nearly drained bottle of lavender liquid. "I have in my hand, evidence that your friend Kael'thasss is plotting against you, intending to leave you for that woman Saturna and for Sssilvermoon! Illidan, my Master, you have had almost two weeksss, with no progress. Tomorrow is the final day of your ruse, the fourteenth day of the prophecy. It is time we did thingsss my way."

Illidan did not say No right off, or fly into an offended fit of violence as he had before. During that full silence, Lady Vashj smiled triumphantly. She knew that meant she could still tempt The Betrayer into saying yes, the way she always used to.

He was all hers, the timing excellent as she had hoped. All his mad efforts to win over the Blood Elf Prince had left him heartbroken and desperate for a solution. All she had to do was wait for Illidan to fail. She knew both men too well... She had played both their games and she had won.

His voice full and roiling with heartwrenching emotion, the slithering whispers of power that corrupted a full-Demon voice that Illidan was now too depressed to hide, the Demon Lord of Outland lifted his gaze a little more and said, "What would you have me do, my Queen?"

Lady Vashj slithered up very close to Illidan and bared her teeth. "I sssay… Off with his head!"


	24. What Illidan does with Betrayers

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: What Illidan does with Betrayers...**

Illidan's terrible anguish could be felt as intensely as one felt his anger. It unsettled even the most stalwart hearts. And Lady Vashj had also very painfully learned in her dream with him, that it was possible to feel the strength of the full Demon's hate and frustration. One could even be swayed by his intense lust. This time, though, she was not prepared for his sorrow.

It was very difficult to be around Illidan now and not ache for him, whether or not one understood why he was suddenly so sad. Regardless of the reason, the pain of his heart seeped into your own, made you want to empathize with him, to comfort him. But did he deserve such compassion? Lady Vashj knew there was danger in asking herself that question, so she didn't. She took a deep breath, and readied herself to manipulate a full Demon Lord.

"Now then, what isss your answer, to my requessst?"

Illidan turned his dead gaze on Lady Vashj, chin in palm as he sat motionless on his stone throne.

"You want me to kill him. That has been your plan all along, has it not?" When he spoke in Demonic, a sort of universal shadow language… the force of it was staggering.

"Yesss." She replied, without hesitation. "You are the only one here who can…"

"I am the only one here who can do it without incurring the wrath of the Lord of Outland, since I am he." Illidan curled a lip, revealed a sharp canine as if to growl at her but lost heart to do even that. "So that was the reason for tricking Voren'thall the Seer into defecting, by giving him that dream. The same reason that you gave Kael'thas dreams about his burning kingdom and Saturna Whiteblade a vision of Kael'thas… You put Kael'thas and Saturna together and then tried to pique my interest in her at the ball. First, two years ago, you wanted me to kill Kael'thas for political reasons, because of that tactical failure. More recently, you wanted me to fight him over a woman. Now... you want me to kill him because you're convinced that he's going to abandon our alliance and betray us."

"You sssent me to Azeroth to find help years before even that, Illidan. You could not trussst your brother, nor the Alliance to assist you in fighting the Burning Legion in Outland. I went and searched, as you bade me. I had little to choose from, very little. Back then, when we first came to Outland, you praisssed me for finding the Prince of the Blood Elves and his armies." She hissed, "But truth be told, he was a poor choice then, and is an even more pathetic choice now. Kael'thas is weak. He has proven dark of heart, knowsss no loyalty. I want to prevent him from ruining us. Someone must ruin him first before danger actually finds usss in the form of the overconfident advance of the Burning Legion, because they see that he is the weak link in our triad, or worssse… And have you never considered that he is a mage? He could conjure a portal back to Silvermoon City or anywhere else at any moment, and he has done nothing to convince usss, made no sssacrifice, shed no blood, sssworn no oath to prove his loyalty. He hides underneath the umbrella of your affection for him, your preference for him over all your other officers and plotsss against usss—"

Illidan laughed bitterly. "How clairvoyant you are. At least… you think that you are."

Lady Vashj wondered at his words.

"Tell me…" And he sounded especially desolate. "I will give you anything that you want in this life, in all of Outland if you can guess the correct answer. Was I wrong to ignore all your warnings, make light of your scheming? Should I have listened to you in the first place, my dear old friend? Mind you, whichever one of us turns out to be wrong… I shall kill him for being so pathetic."

Wave Commander Scy'thlerin stepped forward, searching Illidan in the strange way that reptilian Naga did, as if it were possible to sniff another person and know what they were about, whether they were good or bad or a liar by just knowing their essence. He slithered backward again and put a cautionary hand on his Queen's arm.

"We are not the onesss who are wrong, My Lord" Scyth'lerin stepped carefully around the question. "It is Kael'thasss who has betrayed us—who _will_ betray us. Whether you kill Kael'thas over a woman, or some other transgression, it doesn't matter. What we need are his armiesss and his technologiesss. We do not trust him. If you were a Naga… you would see what we see, feel what we feel… sssmell it, the urge to lash out and rid of him like the runt of the litter, like the treacherous Omega wolf in our midst. He mussst not be allowed to breed… not his lies, unfaithfulness. It will spread like a disease." Then she hunched his shoulders, snarled through the gills, bared his teeth and said, "Ikkshi yssmala, nax'ta ikkshi ran. That is a Naga sssaying, my Lord. All worthy soldiersss, such as myself know it well, the first rule of the Wave Command: Eat or be eaten. Eat essspecially the hungry, those onesss that would lash out against you. Then, take what is theirsss and grow fat on it, use it to become ssstronger and set an example for all other betrayers."

Lady Vashj had not stopped looking at Illidan. "You… already knew that Kael'thas was expecting a child, through the Soul Link. You know a great deal many thingsss about Kael'thas that no one could possibly know through ssspy-work, prying eyes… who could have told you about the dream _I_ gave him, when Kael'thas is far too clever to reveal that to anyone else. You were there with him in his mind, and to know about Saturna's dream, you mussst hear his conversations. All of them."

"I am stronger than him, that shouldn't surprise you. If he assumes that we have equal control over the Soul Link it is his own fault."

"You know something else about him as well… sssomething that has made you this way, so dejected. This is not the Illidan Stormrage that I know well. You are courting thoughtsss of suicide, after learning this new horrible truth you have panicked—you've known about it for DAYS–and you just sat here and did nothing! What else hasss he done, Illidan? What are you protecting him from?"

Illidan would not meet her eyes. "All of a sudden… I agree with you wholeheartedly, Lady Vashj. Perhaps killing Kael'thas is the only way to save him. But only because, during our last conversation, you intimated that it would more than death… that you had a way of re-making him? Can you assure me that your magic will bind Kael'thas to me? If I go this far, murder my own brother for nothing, when he most needs me—"

"Enough of your pathetic lies! I am your ally. I have committed my entire army to you, and you will not shut me out, when clearly Kael'thas has done sssomething to make him unworthy. Are you so blind! Are you so old and past rife with your mad fantasies that you can't see that protecting him now is going to ruin usss? TELL ME what he has done this time!" she screamed the last part.

Illidan swaddled his wings about himself in the darkness. "Are you really going to complain, now that you are going to have your way?"

Scy'thlerin made a whispering noise over his sharp teeth, the way one called to a wayward cat. Lady Vashj snarled at him in turn, but then took up his cue to check her temper.

Staring dead at the Demon Lord, Lady Vashj clacked something in Naga. Her consorts pounded fists into their palms, and after bowing reverently, came before Illidan and removed the wide golden collars they always wore on their necks. Illidan was amazed to see what they revealed to him, couldn't believe his eyes. He got down from the stone seat and walked over to see for himself.

"These stitches," he dragged a tentative claw down the glowing green fel runes and jagged black thread stitching bruised around their necks. "This is keeping their heads... on." He concluded.

"Yesss." Wave Commander Scy'thlerin answered. "Ikxak and Wrixak are two of Queen Azshara's royal guard. They are soulbound to her, and were ordered to watch over Lady Vashj as she does her important work here in Outland. Every elite Nazjatar guard is killed first, decapitated. Then, their heads are sewn back on with the rarest of the Queen's magics. Thusss, they are resurrected, their lives bound to her, they must mind her alwaysss, they have no choice. It is impossible for them to betray her because she even owns their souls."

Lady Vashj bragged, "I can even order Ikxak and Wrixak to kill themselves at any time, just as Queen Azshara can, because she made them swear loyalty to me on this journey. And I know how to do to Kael'thas, I've been studying the procedure for a long time because I feared that in the worssst case, you would not want to kill him. Now Is that enough proof for you?"

"I will not take your word for it. Show me now." Illidan said, a strange glint in his eye.

Lady Vashj clearly didn't want to, but she sensed that Illidan was finally coming around. Another sharp order in Naga, and Ikxak and Wrixak began fighting each other. As they tore at each other's with their ringed knuckles, snapped at each other with their teeth, gored each other, Illidan began to smile again. It was the first time in days, since his dream, and the same night that his spies came and told him about Kael'thas...

Lady Vashj looked from the now corpses of her beloved consorts to Illidan.

"Worse than slaves, that is what they are." He was fascinated.

"Yesss I am not a warlock, but they are like my pets. They cannot run, nor can they hide from me nor can they lie. They must do as I please. And I desire them to love me absolutely." She raised her hands and called on green magic to resurrect them.

When they were fully restored, Illidan asked Lady Vashj to do it again. Seeing how near to agreement they were, she did, this time without hesitation. Illidan loved watching it, loved seeing the power she had over life and death.

"And if you kill Kael'thasss, just once he will be just as pliable to you."

"I could even save him from himself… No, this is not a betrayal of my brother, as you have shown me. I would be protecting him in the best way, the most perfect way…" Illidan was grateful, but wisely fell short of humbling himself completely by thanking her.

Relieved to have encountered a version of his madness that she could at last deal with, Lady Vashj confidently went on, "I told you that Kael'thas must be dead in order for me to activate the magic, his head cut off to be precissse. And if you are ssstill unwilling to kill him, it doesn't have to be you who does it, My Lord—"

Illidan paced, and began to consider murdering the man whom he believed was his brother, for the first time. "Though I can see now that it is a reasonable solution, I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. How many Blood Elves have I trained to be Demon hunters, dark sorcerers, and the like I can't afford to get that many people, _and_ all of Tempest Keep as well as General Blaize's capable soldiers angry with me. I also doubt we can kill Kael'thas, a monarch, in secret, on such short notice. The people here talk too much!" he reproached Lady Vashj for her rumor mill all of a sudden, "And weaning thousands of people off such a bad habit will take too long. Whomever does it will have to be a scapegoat as well. There will most certainly be a public outcry, even if we were to resurrect him in this new way afterward. They will want vengeance, and that will have to be directed at someone."

Scy'thlerin said, "The Shatar raidersss would have been the easiest choice, and had we known then that you would go along with this idea... but that is in the past now, and they have also proved incompetent. Nor, do we have the time to prepare one of my queen's brilliant elaborate machinationsss and plant it among their ranks, sow it in the minds of those soldiers in Shatthrath City. My Queen's Naga soldiers cannot risk it either, it would lead to an all out war between the Naga and the Sunfury."

"Yesss… and that would defeat our purpose," Lady Vashj further observed, "To gain full access to Kael'thas' power without having to worry about the man himself. We'll use an assassin then, to kill him in sssecret and avoid putting my Lord's forces in contention."

"No." Illidan said. "That's too easy for him, he and his Bloodknights will see right through it. Which is why, I assume, you didn't use an assassin to do your work in the first place, Lady Vashj. An investigation of such a murder can be easily done and, ultimately, we'd only be exposing ourselves. Nor do I know of any assassin who could quietly dispose of a powerful Bloodmage." After a time, Illidan added, "Besides, Kael'thas is a warlock. Sometimes he uses a soulstone on himself."

"Killing him once will be hard enough," Lady Vashj agreed, "If he uses a sssoulstone and just resurrectsss himself, afterward then the assassin is as good as dead. I doubt Kael'thas will give whomever it isss an inch if they fail the first time. There must be a way to predict when he—"

"No there isn't. He does it randomly, just to throw would-be attackers off for that very reason." Illidan replied.

Lady Vashj smiled even more. Now he was actively participating in this plan of hers. It felt good for Illidan to be on her side again.

Illidan went to sit back down as he thought. He chewed the talon on his thumb while he observed aloud, "Arthas bested me " he paused, while he admitted this but it was necessary to be honest about the lesson he learned from the encounter, the strategy, "Because for one brief moment I lost my balance while flying out of his way to dodge an attack. That one sliver of hesitation, that one moment of indecision I suffered while I struggled to right myself was all he needed to stab me We don't need someone to engage Kael'thas in combat and win. We just need someone to make him hesitate. Someone to keep him from thinking, to watch and see if he uses a soulstone that morning, or at the least help him to forget it " Illidan at last smiled. "And then make him pause before slicing his head off with a Corrupted Ashbringer."

Illidand looked up to see Lady Vashj grinning at him proudly.

"Now " she purred, "That is the Illidan Ssstormrage I remember. I do love the way you think. But are you sure that you can turn her?"

Illidan laughed to himself. "I ruined you, didn't I? At least, I thought I did. Either way, though, I recall that you liked it."

Lady Vashj frowned at his joke. Her consorts and Scy'thlerin started clacking angrily. She hissed at all of them to shut their mouths.

Illidan seemed to understand what the matter was. He grinned triumphantly at them all, for having enjoyed their woman right under their noses. "And Saturna will like it too or perhaps she won't. It will depend on how my mood strikes me."

"Destroy her! Completely ruin Saturna Whiteblade." Lady Vashj then checked her temper. "She _is_ going to die anyway... the bitch."

Illidan agreed. "Yes, we _will_ need a scapegoat and she fits the role perfectly, having come here with her Bloodknights for shady reasons in the first place..." Illidan decided not to reveal that part of what he knew to his ally, and changed the subject. "Between you and I, Lady Vashj, we should be able to fashion all the elven hearts and souls in the Black Temple so that they hate Saturna Whiteblade for murdering their beloved Prince. They will _beg_ for me to bring her to justice."

"Don't wait for jussstice. We cannot allow ourselves to fail in the sssame way that Kael'thas will, because we hesitate. Take what is owed to you, My Lord, and leave no prisonersss. And act quickly, it is past midnight; the fourteenth day of the prophecy is upon us. You will need her undone before Kael'thas beginsss to wonder why you haven't transformed."

Illidan enjoyed another fiendish smile when the Naga men in the room began screeching at Lady Vashj over that too. She hadn't told them about her wild night with him, nor informed them that she knew Illidan was in fact a full Demon this entire time.

"Oh, Lady Vashj I do adore you. You have been loyal to me this entire time, haven't you? And you keep my secrets so well. Perhaps your reward for resolving all this, can be the same as your punishment?"

She squawked him angrily. It was a new sound that Illidan never heard before, it caused him to flinch.

"Dearest, I liked that _very_ much. What was that you just said to me?" He leaned forward in his seat, getting excited.

Lady Vashj flushed, embarrassed and furious with him. "It means something to the effect of Never in life will you be sleeping with me again. Never in this life, or the next, or in a thousand hells, if that is where we end up together! NEVER!"

Illidan got up once more and walked over to her. Her consorts objected to this too, but he flared opened his wings when at last he came to a stop close by her. They startled backward. "No one says 'No' to me, my Lady. But _you_ do… and then you open your mouth so beautifully. In fact, I would have you say it again…"

"Before you go any further--seducing me in such a vile fashion again--I warn you, Illidan Stormrage that my assistance of course comes with some strings attached."

Illidan stared at the hand she pressed against his chest to make him stop, and chuckled. "And a perfect time to bring up that there is a price I must pay for your services, when I'm so enchanted with you. Tell me, what are they?"

"First, I want to be your Second in Command again. Kael'thasss does not deserve a place by your side!"

Illidan looked up at the ceiling, to where the green fel magic sealed gigantic jagged rocks together in a sort of malevolent chandelier over where the domed roof was broken in. He frowned, and sadness softened his voice. "Unfortunately, that, I agree with... It took me far too long to see it, but at last I do. Kael'thas is hopelessly lost, and untrustworthy." He closed his eyes against the pain of that realization "I will fix him, but that also means he will never be the same again. Your wish, oh Beautiful One, is my command." He lifted her hand and kissed it.

"I hope you enjoyed that kiss." She smiled up at him, then snatched her hand away. "Because it was your last! You will never touch me again, the way you did that night. Besides it being shameful and disgusting you caused me to lose too much over it. You see how angry they are!" she thrust an arm out to indicate Scy'thlerin and her consorts. "Only the best of Naga men are meant to lie with the matriarch, and now they feel cheated! The loyalty of my own men is in danger, becaussse you had one moment of weakness with me, besides it being a violation! If you want my help you mussst promise never to make an advance at me again!"

Illidan laughed at her. "You watch and see what I do to Saturna Whiteblade. Then you will know why I am agreeing, even to that."

"But she's just a brainless—"

"She is smarter than you think. I can't make a weapon out of a woman who has no potential to begin with. It will be a thing of beauty, a perfect agent of my will. She will adore me, hang off of my every word, a Bloodknight turned cold you'll be jealous of us by the end of it. You will wish that it was you I was seducing. Are you sure you want me to stay away from you, my Lady? You might regret it, when you later come to me on your own and I spurn you."

"You wouldn't!"

"You see? Now you care whether I like you or not." Then Illidan gently took her hand again and began to make a very strange noise for her. It sounded a lot like... evil purring? Lady Vashj raised her eyebrows.

"Just because…" she faltered, "you can sssound cute, Illidan," she backed away and crossed her many arms, "Does not mean that you actually _are_. And, are you sure that you can keep Kael'thas away from Saturna long enough to do your work? Something on the scale of what you are thinking... that sort of manipulation could take days."

"You won't know until you try me, will you, my Lady? And as for your other question, I have something in mind that will send Kael'thas running... and I've been avoiding speaking to him about it for far too long." Suddenly, he looked up and growled. The Naga sniffed the air, trying to figure out what it was. "I can hear Kael'thas coming to find me through the Soul Link. Use the back door that Akama put in…" he pointed to a stone panel behind his throne. **"**It would seem that it has other uses besides funneling raiders directly into my chambers, that treacherous bastard. My dearest Lady Vashj…"

"Second Commander Lady Vashj." She grunted.

Illidan smiled at her and bowed. "We will speak again later."

When the Naga at last departed and the stone panel slid closed, Illidan shouted in his best angry voice, for the guards to 'let the betrayer Kael'thas' in.

When Kael'thas entered, he sneered back, "I come in here to speak with you about something important and you are playing games with me? How _dare_ you call me that! What in the hell is wrong with you? You know how people talk!"

Illidan allowed Kael'thas get as close as he dared, to enter into that intimate personal space that friends so often feel welcome. No one in the Black Temple, no one in Illidan's life would ever stand that close to him. At times, Lady Vashj did, but Illidan knew that was only to seduce him, to fool him, just as he knew that she was using him now. That was her way. But Kael'thas, he was the one who was never supposed abuse their friendship. That is why Illidan waited for his friend to come in that close, in order to show him his new place.

Illidan backhanded Kael'thas so hard that the Blood Elf was knocked off his feet. He barely broke his fall with his hands, was so stunned by that first violent gesture between them that when he struggled to get back up, he stumbled... Or, rather, it was the realization that the blood in his palm was his own, that Illidan had broken his nose.

"Illidan..."

"I know that you are working with the Burning Legion! My spies told me a few nights ago. And before that, I learned that you were having a son and chose to hide it from me. And before then, you refused to be my brother! Three times! Three times did you strike me in the way that I just hurt you. Within days, it was like you broke all of the bones in my body, crushed my spirit. You have been lying to me all along, using me the way that Lady Vashj used me. While I was suffering because of the transformation, she used her glamours, her Naga magic. At least, that was expected from someone like her. Nor did she ever pretend to care about me as a person. But what I did _not_ expect was for you to use our friendship, my dependence on you to wheedle whatever you wanted out of me, and then hide in the shade of my trust to cover the bribes you've been accepting and the favors you've been doing for the Burning Legion, greedily taking from both sides to fund your research in Tempest Keep? YOU ARE THE BETRAYER!"

Kael'thas hid his face. "I... You must mean the Void Reaver I created that's just a coincidence Illidan, you've made a mistake, hit me for no reason at all!" he winced and held his nose in a shaking hand.

"No, my friend. The only mistake I made was putting my blind faith in you. And, the only thing that has prevented me from seeing the truth so far was that willful blindness, because I did not want to believe that someone like you could truly hurt me... just like my _other_ brother. You don't deserve to live!" Illidan paced in a circle then came back to him, lashed open his wings. "But I... You have twenty four hours to account for every thing you've ever traded for, every scrap of metal, every piece of fel technology in your possession. You had better hope that I don't see anything in your books that reminds me of the Burning Legion." He growled.

"I will not! Why are you treating me like this?" He laughed nervously, "It just isn't true!"

"Because I have good reason to believe you are helping the Burning Legion and you know it. Or... you can stand here and take the chance I'm bluffing about what I know, and I can just tell my Demons go through Tempest Keep for you and search. In that case, you can relax in my presence and enjoy your innocence. It is your choice."

Kael'thas went pale. He crouched for a long time on the floor, holding his nose, trying to prevent the flow of blood while he thought. Then, and Illidan had to look away because the truth was so painful to see, Kael'thas got up and went quickly to the door.

"I no longer trust you, Kael'thas Sunstrider." Illidan turned his back on his friend.

Kael'thas wiped blood clean from his face. "Do not stand there and pretend that _you_ are someone I could have ever trusted in the first place!"

"GET OUT!" Illidan roared at him. The force of his rage blew like a fierce gale in the room. The maelstrom sent trophy skulls flying from there settings, stone seats at the long meeting table were toppled. After Kael'thas left, the doors slammed so hard that they were broken off their hinges. Then, Illidan stalked after the departed Blood Elf Prince shouting the vilest of oaths all through the East Wing of the Black Temple.

But it didn't matter that his friend had already gone. Through the walls, and through the Soul Link, Illidan knew that Kael'thas heard every single one, that he was truly afraid.But worst of all, Illidan could sense that he was right about his friend. And now, Kael'thas would have to be punished. Punished, then fixed. Lady Vashj had shown him the way.

_Moments later, in the Golden Shrine..._

Saturna sat in one of Kael'thas' old dark shirts. She was too upset to completely rouse herself that morning, and Kael'thas had told her not to worry. He'd left a while ago to 'take care of the baby and everything' he said. Now it was past lunchtime and she was still waiting, so terrified she couldn't think straight.

At last, the door to the Golden Shrine creaked open. Kael'thas walked in, clearly agitated, but he said nothing and went directly to his desk. Advisor Sorn raced into the room behind him, mumbling about numbers, accounts, lost records Kael'thas was solely focused on finding whatever documentation Sorn wanted.

It was when Saturna realized that Kael'thas had completely given over to Sorn's annoying directions and actually accepted his overbearing help that Saturna knew something was wrong.

"Love is everything alright?"

Kael'thas startled, as if he forgot she even lived there with him. "Oh, it's you. I here I think this is the one you mean, Sorn."

"No, it isn't. This is last year's budget, my Prince! I need this year's I'm telling you, it's over at Tempest Keep."

Kael'thas didn't demand an apology from Sorn for talking out of turn. He kept flipping through the many records on his desk, opening books and shaking them out, as if to find something hidden between the pages.

"Your Majesty, is this how you keep your financial records? One of your station must always be prepared for an audit. Honestly! Your father was far more organized and a better leader by far."

Kael'thas paused, and inhaled a long, frustrated breath then put his head in his hands. Sorn got impatient with him and started to search through the Prince's desk on his own. Kael'thas only stood there, unable to act.

"Kael'thas It's not like you let him talk to you like that, about your father?" Saturna worried confidentially. Despite the fact that she was only wearing his shirt, she came over, reached up and hugged him.

"But he's right." Kael'thas wandered off with her a few paces. He started to whisper. "Illidan wants to see what I've been spending my share of the Outland spoils on over the past three years."

"What? What are you two, Goblins, haggling over this realm as if it were a great big business venture? He's just angry at you, because of that dream and the brother incident."

"That may be but " he lowered his voice even more, "When there are rumors that Kil'jaeden has been speaking to me "

"Kael'thas!" he shushed her. "That can't be true you wouldn't do that. And, what happened to your nose? That's a rush healing job, if I've ever saw one." She raised her eyebrows. "Did Illidan do that to you? Did he attack you… why would you let him do that?"

"Because… I deserved it."

"My Prince! This office area of yours is a mess. You must come over here and guide me, help me navigate this… is this a bottle of _champagne_, spilled all over the list of Tempest Keep security codes! By the sun!"

Kael'thas cringed, began to walk back over.

Saturna grabbed him by the arm and whispered harshly. "Oh no you don't! 'Because you deserved it'… what in the hell does that mean? Is he right, Kael'thas? _Are_ you working with the Burning Legion?"

He looked at her sideways, began to explain carefully. "It is expensive to run the sorts of experiments I need to do, for the sake of Quel'thalas. Have you been to Netherstorm? That exstensive pipe infrastructure that runs throughout the land takes time and money to build and maintain. My men need to be trained to manage it, and those engineers need round the clock protection from the Shatar forces, and" he rolled his eyes, "Goblins of all things… I come up with the idea that we can siphon magic from the air itself and stabilize it in great amounts, to create a source of energy, and suddenly every adventurer with nothing else better to do goes over to Cosmowrench and sets about shutting down my manaforges… killing those expensive, highly trained technicians! Of course I accepted a little help here and there, took in plans for a Fel Reaver left on my doorstep. Of course I was going to build one, that's an amazing gift, how could anyone not! And you know, when I backed away from their holdings in Netherstorm, the Burning Legion pulled away from mine… it's subtle, but yes, I suppose you could call it a partnership. And yes, Kil'jaeden _has_ spoken to me, but it's not all that bad…"

Saturna covered her mouth. "You… you _are _working for the Burning Legion! And… you're even _joking_ about it? What is wrong with you, Kael'thas! What in the hell is wrong with you?"

Sorn kept grumbling to himself in the background. Kael'thas guided Saturna further away so that they could continue having their conversation in private.

"Illidan finding out is the worst possible thing that could happen—"

"Really? Because I could think of a few things! So this is why you never spoke about your work over in Tempest Keep. And your mindless loyalty to him… it wasn't about friendship, was it, Kael'thas? You couldn't afford to disagree with Illidan, to look guilty about anything at all, with so much at stake."

"Illidan was a fool to trust me. To use me, manipulate me into a Soul Link and then think that he could use it to spy on me, to control me? That is not how I work. Princes of Quel'thalas don't wear collars around their necks."

Saturna was afraid to listen to anymore, she trembled as she continued to fit all the pieces together. "And earlier this week, when you found out that I was… in the Blood Nexus. You… you didn't forgive me just because you loved me. You knew that I had good cause, that there was sound evidence against you. You supported me on purpose, so that I would doubt myself… and you _wanted _me to doubt my friends." She became panicked. "Did you turn me against them on purpose? Do you not love me as much as you say you do? Dammit, Kael'thas, we have a child together!"

He let go of her, his gaze gone cold. "I did… what I had to do, to survive. Saturna, I do love you but—"

She slapped him.

"You do _not_ love me! If you loved me, you would never do something like this to me! Pyorin and the others, Lianna, Blaize, everyone… they were right about you. They saw it, but I didn't. Because I refused… I didn't want to see you for what you are."

Kael'thas got angry with her. "Will you stop being so ridiculous and calm down! Can you avoid being a senseless fangirl with me for one moment?" he ridiculed her, and Saturna was already shaking her head. "Listen to me, everything is going to be fine. Illidan is still in the dark. Perhaps he is my friend, but he is also so wrapped around my finger that he's giving me a chance to set this all right. His own spies told him what I was doing, he has plenty of evidence to back that up, but he's currently allowing me to go and cover it up. That's what this is really about. If he hated me, if he wanted to punish me, then I'd be dead right now, and Lady Vashj throwing some victory parade, or," he allowed himself to laugh, "throwing her back out again, underneath him."

"You're so arrogant, and selfish… have you no shame!"

"No, I haven't." Kael'thas looked down his nose at her. "Now, are you done playing with me, love? Daddy has to get back to work."

She screamed at him. "You don't even see the tragedy in all this… however you used him… he loves you! Illidan cares about you a great deal. He's not letting you get off the hook, he's protecting you. Eventhough you let him down, no doubt broke his heart, especially in his mental state, he's trying to give you a second chance. He really _is_ your friend. But I don't think that you are truly his."

"I do admire Illidan, I respect him. And I do care what happens to him. But I'm nobody's puppet, Saturna. I never was. Like I told you before, you have to watch your back around people like Illidan Stormrage and Lady Vashj. Look, I don't have time to explain any more to you. I need to help Sorn. If I can't cover my ass right now, then we really _will_ be in a lot of trouble." Then he went to Advisor Sorn. The old man knew Kael'thas well and had grown accustomed to minding only things that were his business.

"Now my Prince," Sorn picked up as if Kael'thas and his lady hadn't just had a passionate if not whispered argument at all, "If you want to continue keeping myself and your men alive, we must find those books so I can show Lord Illidan exactly where Mu'ru went, those Khorium bars, the Mana Bombs "

Saturna was repulsed by the sight of Kael'thas just standing there and going on as if her feelings didn't matter at all. Everything that the Scryers had ever said was true, and there were countless other Blood Elves in Outland and beyond who hoped against hope, only got through another day after the devastation in Quel'thalas because Rommath or someone else assured them that the bad news about their Prince was all just rumors. Their Prince was not a villain, he had not gone mad with power, no… he was just misunderstood.

Now Saturna realized that, of all the sin'dorei in Outland and beyond, she was most possibly the worst off of everyone. She'd dedicated her life to Kael'thas, then when she met him, actually gave him her life and her love, ruined her name as a Bloodknight before the Shatar, then pushed away her own friends… and now, she was having this cruel man's baby, only to find out the horrible truth. To make matters worse, his son, that he was seriously considering raising in Tempest Keep with Illidan _and_ the Burning Legion at his doorstep. His son whom Kael'thas didn't even consider, for one moment, returning to Quel'thalas for so that the baby could inherit his precious birthright. Saturna finally believed what Kael'thas had been saying all along, that he had no desire, whatsoever, to go back to Quel'thalas. And there would be no convincing him.

"Here, I think I found it " Sorn was now saying. Saturna tried not to cry, walked over to stand on the golden mosaic by herself.

"Kael'thas… we need to talk." she said.

She watched Kael'thas completely ignore her. His cruelty... it wasn't charming any more, dangerous and enticing. It just hurt.

He was saying to Sorn, "No, those are just Pathaleon's projections. Really, I have him doing too much over at Tempest Keep. Besides helping with the engineering aspect."

"You see, my Prince! That is what I've been telling you, you need an official accountant. Those reports are at Tempest Keep, they have to be if they aren't here."

Kael'thas ducked behind his desk and dragged out a wooden crate. He and Sorn went back and forth arguing over whether or not thosw were the right records. Then, he went to his many overstuffed bookshelves. He inspected every single book, and couldn't find a thing.

After some moments of heartbroken contemplation, Saturna startled to again feel hands on her shoulders. "Saturna…" Kael'thas had rejoined her. "I'll be gone for today, maybe even tonight, to find what Illidan wants."

"I… you're leaving me? You can't just tell me something like this, and then leave me—"

Advisor Sorn came over too and interrupted, "Actually, Lady Whiteblade, yes he can. Lord Illidan thinks that our honorable Prince has been stealing from him this entire time, but it isn't true. Don't worry, M'Lady." He eyed Kael'thas paternally, "Someone got too comfortable in that hasty friendship, indulging in a Demon Lord's good graces, became lax in his book keeping." he turned back to Saturna. "It's just a little misunderstanding."

Saturna shook her head at Kael'thas, disgusted. Advisor Sorn didn't even know what was really going on. The man that she loved… he'd managed to charm and fool so many people.

Kael'thas wrapped his arms around her waist, began to kiss her. "Starshine, you're overreacting, that's all. It must be the baby making you nervous. I promise that when I get back, we'll have the time to make up properly…"

Sorn groaned. "So the baby rumor is true, is it? Ugh… this is one of those days where I should not have got out of bed, isn't it?" Saturna and Kael'thas both gave Sorn a look and he shut his mouth.

Saturna turned back to Kael'thas, shocked at what he'd just said to her. He wasn't asking her if it was the baby, he was telling her. And Kael'thas was also seducing her, to get her to do what he wanted. Before, it had seemed harmless, like when he wanted her to move in with him, or before that when he wanted her to break up with General Blaize. She saw now that it wasn't just Kael'thas' aggressive way of loving her. He was a liar and manipulative by nature. Furthermore, he was proud of it. The Kael'thas that came out in the middle of the night, who cheered in tempting her to break vows to her husband, who belittled her and used her... that was the real Kael'thas. He had been doing it all along, not to be charming, but because he knew that it worked, he was good at it and he wanted to do it.

Was that how he fooled Illidan, by telling him what to believe, tempting him with comfortable lies about a close friendship, a unique bond that may have had a greater hand in guiding the broken Demon man into believing they were brothers than anything Illidan could have ever dreamed up on his own? Kael'thas had fully exploited that weakness in the man he still referred to as his friend. The Scryers down in Shatthrath City insisted that Kael'thas was twisting the truth deftly… and it wasn't just in a political way, a part of military strategy. All that came from the man himself. She pushed out of her lover's arms.

"No it's not any of those things that's making me upset and you know it! This saddens me Kael'thas… I can't tell where your loving me begins and your needing to keep me confused and loyal to you ends… Kael'thas, this isn't settled. Nor are you going anywhere, you can't leave me alone with Illidan!"

Advisor Sorn stepped between them. "My Lady, do not take this the wrong way, but you are an excellent distraction for his Majesty. He can't afford to frivol away any time, not one moment when so much is at stake."

Kael'thas folded his hands behind his back. "I'm sorry, Starshine, but he's right. Over the next day or so I probably won't even sleep." He leaned in and stole a kiss from her cheek. "But I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can rest… I'll see to it that no one comes by to bother you, to talk to you…"

Saturna shut her eyes against whatever it is Kael'thas was beginning to insinuate next, that he would have her quiet and confined to the room. "If you are going to go now… then maybe you shouldn't bother coming back!"

Kael'thas flashed a cocky, irritated smile. "What in the hell are you saying to me? Are you threatening me, Saturna?"

"No! I'm not… but _you_ are abandoning me. Don't you see that's what you're doing?" she eyed Sorn nervously, but Kael'thas was being so recalcitrant, she became desperate, "Lady Vashj tells him that I'm pregnant with your child and when you try to confront him about the secrecy, he throws this in your face? He's trying to get to me and the baby. He knows that he can't do it while you're here!"

There was a knock on the door and Kael'thas shouted for the Sunfury guards to let his other advisors in, before they were fully announced. Men and women, all faces Saturna had seen before, but only now did she fully understand that they worked on Tempest Keep projects for Kael'thas. They filed in carrying crates of their own paper documents. Kael'thas got his own crate under his arm, didn't bother to ask for help from the guards because was in a hurry but dragged the other along the middle of the floor. Sorn had his hands full already. Everyone stood around the golden mosaic, at the conversion of lei lines. Kael'thas set down his burden and stood in the center, began conjuring.

"Kael'thas, stop! I can't ignore this feeling anymore Alright, forget about what you told me earlier," she said carefully, "But when it comes to our child, I'm begging you. I don't want to be alone with Illidan! Isn't this the last day of the prophecy, isn't he going to transform, even if you think I'm wrong? What if he—"

His other advisors gasped at the news, that the rumors of their having a child together were true. Kael'thas exhaled angrily and put down his arms. "Saturna, I can't do this right now! I just can't take you with me everywhere."

His colleagues laughed at his hasty joke, expertly executed to break the tension, at her expense.

Saturna shook with rage. "No! Don't you dare patronize me, Kael'thas Sunstrider! You don't get to be a jackass to me, not now, because you don't want to deal with this! Just like yesterday, this is the old Kael'thas Sunstrider, who was afraid to even speak to a woman, who is running away now that the situation is tense, and the pressure getting to him. You _are_ a father now, whether you're comfortable with it or not. I am the mother of your child. I wanted to give you as much time as possible to make up your mind about what to do here in Outland but it's clear to me that now, at this moment, you are out of time. If you go to Tempest Keep now, if you leave me here with Illidan, you might as well say good bye to me. That man is up to something terrible, and it's _not_ the pregnancy talking! You are the only reason why he hasn't taken revenge on me yet..."

"Saturna, stop it! That is not the issue here. I am the only one standing between the success of this Thalassian expedition in Outland and absolute ruin! The man _thinks_ I've been abusing his alliance," he insisted cautiously, "and I can't afford to be at war with Illidan, of all people. Besides, you are compromising the safety of our child, by telling Advisor Sorn, and now everyone else what's going on! Well, it's not a secret anymore, now is it?"

She laughed helplessly, unable to believe the extent of his denial. "That is not my fault! You forced me into this situation, just now, by being so mean to me, and ignoring my feelings. We need to talk, you can see that for yourself, how upset I am right now. Fine, dismiss them, and we'll settle this."

"No! There is no time!"

"No time to find your precious receipts, your ledgers, to cover up your dirty little secrets in Tempest Keep? Or, no time for your son?"

"Saturna, this is too much, I'm not ready to be a father..." he was embarassed at this outburst and hurried to say next, "And there most certainly was not a finishing school in Silvermoon or Dalaran to prepare me for dealing with a woman as stubborn and silly as you, the way you were practically raised to please me. In fact you're forcing me to come to the conclusion that you are only good for one thing, and hardly that because you made me wait so damned long…" Kael'thas realized too late that he misspoke. His advisors became uncomfortable, to hear him say something so heartless to the mother of his child.

Red-faced, he began conjuring again. Though his other advisors whispered, uncomfortably, Kael'thas did not apologize.

"You arrogant jerk," Saturna cried, "Fine, you think I'm nothing better than some stupid fangirl? Then I'll put it in terms you can't possibly misunderstand. It comes down to this: me or Illidan?"

Kael'thas finished creating the portal to Tempest Keep. One by one, his advisors picked up their documents and stepped through. He looked at her angrily but said nothing.

"Kael'thas, either you make a stand, and protect me now, look out for me and your son, go back to Silvermoon where a Prince of Quel'thalas belongs or you give up everything you have with me and embrace your friend and all his empty promises… And those of your other new friends too. I wouldn't even be giving you this chance if I didn't love you! Kael'thas! Kael'thas Sunstrider, you answer me!"

He picked up his things as the portal began to fade. Advisor Sorn knew him well, and didn't dare move until he was sure Kael'thas had gone first.

"Starshine... good bye." He went through the portal, and Sorn dutifully followed.

"No 'I love you?' No, 'I'm sorry…'"she sank to her knees and wept as the portal faded, "No 'I wish I didn't say those mean things to you, I didn't mean a word of it.' Oh Kael'thas… how could you do this to me?"

Saturna silently wished that she was overreacting, that she'd made a scene for no reason at all, when finally she was alone.

All Saturna could think about was how Kael'thas said he didn't want to be a father. This sort of dramatic turn in her love life was precisely the thing she used to hurry down the Main Causeway for, to cry to her Bloodknights for help. The thought that they might reject her again, for the very reason that she needed to see them now, because of the baby, was more than upsetting. But maybe she needed to go anyway, to explain things and maybe they would have mercy on her, try to understand Or maybe… she shouldn't even risk confronting the Knights of the Blood Nexus again. Panic set in, Saturna hugged her stomach, the unnamed baby son of Kael'thas Sunstrider. She could run… there was a sanctuary deep in the sacred forests. They said a being of pure Light watched over all those who sought peace within those walls. A'dal, he was incapable of judging anyone, no matter how far they'd fallen…

A knock on the door. Saturna got to her feet immediately, feeling like she needed to hide something, hide what would be called treacherous thoughts in the Black Temple.

"Come in."

It was Pyorin. "Why am I not surprised that it is noon and you are all alone waiting for Kael'thas in his apartment with hardly anything on?"

"Oh Pyorin! Thank goodness! You have to help me, I learned that Kael'thas…" she let her words fade as three brown terrofiend guards followed him into the Golden Shrine. Their mutated Demon stomachs had teeth, belched horrible fel magic.

"What's going on?" she asked him.

"I run a casino, remember? I was sitting at the card table playing with Mavia the Maneater—despite her name, she's not so bad actually—and I was winning too, when the Demon Lord of Outland himself comes in and says, 'Pyorin the Tank, I want you to deliver onto me your Commander, the Lady Whiteblade.' I'm sure Mavia's had a good look at my cards by now so that's ruined. Illidan was insistent on the timing; I had to get up from the job _your_ Prince set before me as the security officer to the Demons, just to do Illidan's bidding, right on the spot."

"I can't go before Illidan! I'm begging you, please… don't be like Sunthraze. I really need you to support me on this--"

Pyorin shook his head at her. "I have no sympathy for you whatsoever. And, if you think I am going to stand here and incur Illidan's wrath while I make him wait, you have another thing coming. Let's go. I hope you at least wear panties to bed for Kael'thas. If not, then too bad."

"Pyorin!"

"You're not my Commander any more. I can talk to you however I want."

When Saturna continued to object, Pyorin nodded over his shoulders and two of the Demon casino bouncers seized her by the arms and lifted her up off the ground.

Pyorin let out a low whistle as they escorted Saturna off the premises. He had a good look that answered his question. "Kael'thas... you damned lucky sonofabitch. Saturna, I'm so very sorry that he has no idea what to do with you."

That left Saturna standing before the Demon Lord of Outland in the nude.

Her head was bowed with shame at her situation. Not a weapon had she, nor the father of her child to protect her. All she was conscious of was her belly, hardly swollen with life, and the mad Demon man that wanted her… he also wanted Kael'thas, Saturna knew. She got the acute feeling that she was about to find out, which of them Illidan wanted more.

Illidan took one step toward her, then another. His cleft hooves made little noise on the stone ground. He could be stealthy if he wanted to, he could also be gentle, Saturna realized.

She felt his fingertip grace underneath her chin, not his black claw. Then he lifted it, to look past the sweep of white blonde hair that covered her eyes.

"Beautiful." He said, in Demonic. What translation did Saturna need, when the language was more magic than words. Untrained as she was, she would never know the difference. The language of power, of warlocks who enslaved even Demons, was going to have its way with her.

"No I'm not. Just a vessel… just someone a General can play games with, and then a Naga Queen… and at last… your friend, the Prince of Quel'thalas. I'm just a woman." A lone tear trailed down her cheek. "If you wish to end me…"

Illidan looked on her with concern. "It seems, he has hurt us both. That is what it feels like when Kael'thas withdraws his love. You want to end yourself, no?"

She nodded.

"But we won't do that. Neither of us will. We deserve better, Saturna Whiteblade. Allow me to…" he smoothed a hand down her bare arm, "help you. Together, we can make Kael'thas right again, fix him. Isn't that what you want?"

The powerful sway of his feeling disarmed her at last. "Yes… with all my heart, yes." Illidan hugged her tight, and Saturna didn't struggle. It felt like a black veil fell over her mind, stifled the instinctual fear for herself and the baby… "But I don't know… Can I trust you?"

Illidan kissed her neck gently as he hugged her, the way Kael'thas used to. "Of course, Starshine. You can tell me anything."

"He… He's with the Burning Legion now, you know. Why would he do that? It hurts so much… I don't understand why?"

She was saying his thoughts aloud, as Illidan deftly guiding her. That was the power of his feelings, the power of his suggestive Demonic. Illidan glared angrily at the askew doors behind them. The Demon guards had tried but failed to fix them completely back on their hinges, a grim reminder of this morning when Kael'thas' betrayal had been confirmed.

"Because he is just a man. And men can be broken, they can die… that is because they are fallible."

"But you, my Lord, are immortal." Her voice sounded distant again.

"Yes, I am."

"You are perfect."

"Yes, that I am as well. I shall make you like me, more weapon than man."

Saturna came out of his spell briefly, as Illidan's own attention waned. She felt him kissing her. Saturna was again aware of herself, she knew that it wasn't right… but she could not find the strength to stop. And Illidan felt so good… like someone else she loved. Someone she was losing... Saturna reached her arms up, hugged them around Illidan's neck. There was that intense savage charm again, and strong arms to protect her. It was exactly what she needed, what Kael'thas had refused to give her when he left for Tempest Keep.

Illidan smiled down at Saturna and wrapped his tattered black wings around them both in the dark room. Silently, he enjoyed kissing his brother's woman some more.

You see, for Illidan Stormrage, it was not the first time he had done it. And he of all people knew well that there was great strength in betrayal, real power in daring to take revenge on those who hurt you, to teach them a lesson.

He reached down underneath her shirt and told Saturna that all would be well...


	25. It took only 24 hours

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: It took only 24 hours**

_I have your woman, Kael'thas. How does that feel, brother? I am going to fuck with your plans regarding Quel'thalas and I am going to fuck your woman. What else will happen to me? You warned me, you told me the sky would fall if I dared ruin your plans… funny, I don't feel a thing, not fear, nor regret… Just the soft flesh of your woman._

It was sent through the Soul Link, but yet it wasn't. Illidan had complete control over the Soul Link. Kael'thas heard only what Illidan wanted him to. It was the worst kind of insult, for the truth to be so near to his friend's consciousness, but held back just barely, because it was Illidan's intent to hurt him, by hurting the one that he loved…

Illidan didn't want to let Saturna up for air, did not want to give her even a chance to think, to reconsider… but at the last moment, Saturna pushed away from Illidan on the red couch. Illidan made himself stay calm as he watched Saturna pace over to the table in the middle of the room. He took slow, angry breaths…

"What are we doing?" she had tears in her eyes and still wore nothing but the shirt. "How did commiserating together over Kael'thas' betrayal turn into… How could I have done that? I _love_ him Illidan!"

Illidan wasn't listening to her exactly, though to Saturna, he must have looked truly concerned. He was thinking about what to do next, how to get to her if this didn't work.

"Yes. Love… _you_ have his love, his deepest affection… and you are carrying his child." To Saturna's frightened look, Illidan smiled kindly and added, "Congratulations are in order."

"You… you aren't angry about this?"

"Angry? No… I am furious with Kael'thas for not telling me, for not trusting me, but that only goes so far, not when there is an innocent child involved. New life, that is the greatest blessing of Elune."

Saturna raised her eyebrows. "You… still worship the moon goddess?"

Illidan walked over to Saturna, but this time retained a respectable distance. "Women are the rarest treasures in this life. They bring light into this world, both by bearing children and raising them, and then by giving us men such a hard time." He joked. "I mean that they challenge us. No one can push a man further than a woman can, no one can hurt us more deeply, crush us so absolutely… with just a look, or a word. That, in itself is a form of powerful magic, the feeling a woman inspires in us: to become more than what we are, to never let her down, to never let our families down. The goddess Elune… these days that is what she reminds me of, that love itself is powerful magic."

"Illidan, that's… well, it's poetic."

"You forget that I once loved a Priestess of Elune." He paced away from her.

Saturna winced, "Sorry."

"I'm not. Taking Tyrande away from that cursed Malfurion, if only for a moment in our long lives, was the best thing that I ever did." He gave Saturna an intense look. "Would you like to hear how I did it?"

Saturna faltered for a bit, so Illidan used his suggestive power to guide her in saying, "Yes."

"First… I helped Tyrande to feel safe. I had no intention of hurting her, not like she feared, not the way Malfurion lied to her about me. I was simply a man attracted to a woman… to another Starshine long ago. There was nothing wrong with that. In fact, there is everything right with… showing your passion for a beautiful woman. Second, I proved to Tyrande that I was the better man. Malfurion was away in the Emerald Dream back then. He'd abandoned her, I showed Tyrande would never do anything like that to her. Though I was an outcast among the kal'dorei, I made time for her, made places for us to steal away. I became everything that she needed and more from a man. It was what Tyrande deserved, what she wanted. And I loved her."

Saturna seemed afraid to ask, "But you and she aren't together now, does that mean that… did Malfurion catch you?"

"Saturna, if you want someone to do something for you, it is better to convince them to do it rather than force them. Just as I was able to convince Tyrande, for a time, that I was the better man… afterward, she convinced me that keeping our affair a secret was to the benefit of everyone... well, especially herself. She said that she still loved Malfurion and as his wife, she wanted to continue honoring that promise. Because I loved her and I believed in her, she was able to _convince_ me to do it. Loving someone and being fully convinced of their cause is a deadly combination isn't it? That sort of blind faith in another person borders on zealotry. If you think that you are always acting in the right, no matter what, will become impossible for you to hesitate before the one who controls your heart, not in the slightest." Illidan looked Saturna in the eye, then caught himself. "That is why, though I loathe the man who calls himself my brother and her husband, I will never tell him that Tyrande slept with another man, with me."

"So, Malfurion still doesn't know…"

"On the other hand, when you _force_ someone to do something for you," Illidan spoke over her, "you risk their resenting you. People that you force will always have other, secret motivations. In time, they _will_ betray you in order to get you back for taking their choice away. That sort of suggestion is much less preferable, though circumstances may make it necessary. Those people you must break utterly, and completely, and then have them act when the iron is still hot." Illidan made a fist.

It got very quiet between them. Saturna sat down at the long meeting table and asked after a time, "Is that why you gave Kael'thas another chance, because you really care about what happens to him?" she nervously added, "Not to accuse you… I just feel that as his… um, as… the mother of his child, I should thank you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sparing him."

"Yes, that is why Kael'thas has survived. I would not say that I spared him though. He maneuvered you and I so that he could be spared, this is his plan B going to work, I know him. It has very little to do with compassion, well, only inasmuch that compassion exists in this situation. But it is compassion that he engineered for us, Saturna, seized it from very air between he and I, and you and he like the manaforges that create energy in Netherstorm, from next to nothing… love, like a magic, can be manipulated. When one masters it so well, it might as well be tangible, an object. When it is that thick between people, like a bond, it can be relied upon. Kael'thas is relying on us now to stand back and let him have his way. He is gambling—and well might I add—that we will not make a stand and act against him. But Saturna, I put it to you that we should save Kael'thas from himself, before it is too late!"

Saturna folded her arms over the back of the chair, and knelt in the seat so she could rest her head on them. In the oversized chair and shirt, she looked a little like an innocent girl, asking a big person for advice.

"Illidan, may I share something else with you as well?"

Illidan smiled fondly at her. "Dear, you do not have to ask."

Saturna hid a bit behind her folded arms. "From the very moment that I set foot in the Black Temple," her eyes flickered to him cautiously, "I have been trying very hard to save Kael'thas. I got him off the arcane crystals, I ordered my men to watch over him, I even became his champion when he did not respect the office. And then, I fell in love with him. The others… were concerned that my feelings for him would get in the way of what needed to be done. However, I decided to love Kael'thas fearlessly, to embrace that as another way to reach out to him, to encourage him to do the right thing. Earlier you were talking about women, how we have some kind of magic about us… as beautiful as that was, Illidan, I can assure you that I've already done every thing that I could possibly think of to help Kael'thas." She sighed unhappily, "I'm even having his baby, and the life of our son is not enough. What more could we even do? I think he just wants to… to ruin himself."

"Don't talk like that."

"But it's true. Kael'thas is going to come back from Tempest Keep with those record books, show you what you want to see, and then he is going to promise me a thousand different things, until one of them…" she looked ready to cry, "…and I think I know what it is, hits a note with me and I cannot say no. Then the both of us will have been cheated. Hurt by him, but never vindicated. He's just too good at handling people. And the truth is… I still want to be with him. Just like you, Illidan, after everything that happened I really want to give Kael'thas another chance."

Illidan folded his arms across his massive chest. The green fel runes glowed. "So you're just going to roll over for him, just like that?"

"But I don't see what else we could possibly do. It's not as if we could _force_ him to take responsibility for his actions, to care…"

"Oh yes we can. You especially. Tell me, do Demon-slayers like yourself give up when a monster refuses to change his ways?"

"But Illidan, Kael'thas is not a monster—"

"He is the same! He acts like it, he's just as heartless… does a Bloodknight back down when a Demon refuses to stop killing, lying to, and hurting people? No. Bloodknights and Paladins exorcise monsters!"

Saturna was startled to have Illidan, a Demon himself tell her this. He continued, "They use their powers over the Light to bend and then break villains if necessary. But that is also true of warlocks, of demon hunters, of mages… any soldier-class. Every good fighter worth their salt goes for the throat if the threat is that dangerous. They do whatever it takes. If they cannot destroy the monster, they put him in shackles, they force it to work, to obey. I'm telling you that when Kael'thas returns, we will be lying in wait for him, not standing aside for him! We will drag Kael'thas to redemption, kicking and screaming if that is what it takes. He is too important to me, to us Saturna, for it to be any other way! Do you disagree?"

"Well… I don't know. Like you said, you can't force someone—"

"Do you disagree! The ends _will_ justify the means, as sometimes they must do, in order for there to be real progress. Would you rather be comfortably indecisive and so forfeit his life without taking a risk, even a great risk to save it?"

"I didn't know you had this perspective…"

"I am exhausted with people forgetting that I came here to save Outland! Kael'thas and I closed the portals on the Burning Legion. I am building an army of Fel Orcs to fight them… but yet the Shatar sit there in their fortress city and send wave after wave of footsoldiers after me, as if I were Kil'jaeden himself! Well I am not! And I will not see my friend fall so foolishly into his clutches, not after everything Kael'thas and I fought for together. And so, I ask you again, do you disagree?"

Saturna got out of the chair and stood. "No… I do not. I _am_ willing to do whatever it takes, to save Kael'thas."

Illidan looked her in the eye. "Anything? Absolutely anything, are you sure?"

Saturna swallowed. "You seem to imply that… you already have something in mind, and it isn't savory."

Illidan stopped to think again, tapping his claws against a tense violet bicep. Earlier Saturna had resisted his seduction, and the Demonic. Seducing her distracted Illidan like nothing else, which he hadn't anticipated. Logic... engaging her mentally was beginning to look like his only option.

"Saturna, do you trust me?"

"No."

"Even when it comes to Kael'thas? Why not?"

"Well, there are a lot of reasons… for one, Kael'thas doesn't trust you."

"Kael'thas is not a model of moral acumen, as you well know by now. I want a better reason than that."

"I… well, honestly Illidan, you frighten me."

Illidan grinned at her, delighted.

"I don't understand Demons. Why did you enjoy hearing that just now?"

"If you fear me, it is because you respect my strength. Does Kael'thas fear you?"

Saturna frowned a little. "Well, he doesn't seem to respect me does he? The way he speaks to me sometimes… and he belittles what I think, even though he knows I am a capable fighter. I guess the answer to that is also no."

"We must make him fear you then. I will show you—"

"And there's another thing too… I… I'll admit that I _am_ attracted to you, Illidan, but we should not have kissed. And we almost went further than even that… I'm not sure how that happened, but you didn't try to stop, not once, the way I did. Don't you care what Kael'thas thinks of that? It's another thing that I worry about, when it comes to you."

Illidan gave a polished bow. "Forgive me for stepping out of turn My Lady. I am furious with Kael'thas right now, and your charms got the better of me."

"My charms? I'm not like Lady Vashj. I can't… control it like that."

Illidan really laughed then. "Oh, no you aren't like her at all… but you're wrong about the second part. You _can_ control it. If you can hold yourself back Saturna, then you can send yourself hurtling forward too. And a person must make use of every single asset that they have in a battle. Your beauty… it is an exquisite facet of your character, Saturna Whiteblade."

She thanked him uncomfortably. "Alright then. I suppose that… I can trust you in this, since we both care about Kael'thas. So Illidan, would this be you… _convincing_ me to do things your way?" she raised an eyebrow.

As Illidan long suspected, Saturna valued honesty among other lofty moral values. She couldn't accuse him of misleading her now, even if she wanted to. That was precisely why he brought it up earlier.

Illidan just smiled at her. "No you are not Tyrande, Starshine… but I am hoping that you will see what she saw in me, that I can be entrusted to do the right thing… from time to time." He shrugged humbly.

Saturna became aware of Illidan staring at her bare legs. "If we are going do this, come up with a strategy to save Kael'thas… I'd really like to go change into my uniform. And it will also help us to avoid…" she glanced back over at the couch.

Illidan lashed out a wing and then folded that with the other one neatly over his chest. "Fine, as long as you come back. We have much to discuss, if we are going to save this beloved friend of ours."

Saturna made quickly for the broken doors.

"Oh, and Starshine?"

"Yes, Lord Illidan?"

"It would be cruel of me to just let you go, and not express how nice that stolen moment was… though forbidden. You feel, and smell, and taste… very good."

She had to smile. "The way you flirt… it's different for a Demon isn't it? All concerned with the primal senses. And then there was that strange thing you told me months ago, I never forgot it… sex and violence? You _are_ a very curious man. I think I see why Kael'thas is intrigued by you." She shrugged, "Okay, so I'm also intrigued. In your own way, Illidan, you can be very charming."

Illidan really smiled then, and began to purr.

Saturna perked up at that. "What an entrancing sound… I didn't know you could do that?"

"Go before you make me forget myself." He laughed. Saturna left. Illidan listened with his sensitive Demon's ears until he could no longer hear her footfalls and then ordered the guards to 'get the doors back on their damned hinges, before tonight.'

_Oh, your Starshine is smart, isn't she Kael'thas? She's knows better than to trust me. That is why I was only able to engage her so far with the intellectual mind games. But that she's willing to work with me at all... her heart is like yours, open and willing to love all sorts of twisted, unworthy creatures like you and like me. And as you know, love is different from lust... Or, perhaps that is your problem, Brother, that you don't know the difference. That is why you left her alone with me, isn't it. You're pathetic, Kael'thas, growing more and more like Malfurion every day._

Whether she was going to wear her armor or no, Illidan was sure that he was going to need privacy…

Saturna took her time coming back. He did not see her again until after dinner. This told Illidan that she was considering not returning to see him at all. However, Saturna did eventually come and that was what mattered. She wore her full plate armor and carried the Corrupted Ashbringer, but she was still his. Illidan felt very satisfied with himself.

"Illidan… there's one last thing I want to know, if we are going to do this." Saturna began saying as soon as the repaired doors closed behind her. "The way you healed yourself when the Shatar raiders attacked you, and then after that, you somehow appeared in the Golden Shrine and gave Kael'thas an arcane crystal—"

Illidan looked bored. "You know that I am already a full Demon, so why are you even asking?"

Saturna gasped. "So it _is_ true. But you're just standing there like it's nothing--"

He interrupted her again. "Yes. But really Saturna, does this truth hurt at all?"

Saturna struggled to answer… then she calmed. That in itself was the matter. She was trying hard to be afraid of Illidan. He had been a full Demon Lord all this time and he wasn't trying to hurt her, or Kael'thas.

"But you _were_ trying to get Kael'thas to enslave you—"

"I was insecure at the time, but no longer. I can't think of myself if I want to help Kael'thas, now can I? That would be selfish. I just want my friend to be free of the clutches of the Burning Legion." Saturna nodded uneasily and Illidan uncrossed his arms. "Good then. We finally, we have the trust portion out of the way. Now let's talk strategy."

Saturna listened while Illidan tiptoed around something big, something that was beginning to frighten her. He kept talking about honor and sacrifice, two things she really believed that Illidan did not understand.

"…We may even have to sacrifice Kael'thas. But if you put your faith in me as your friend, if you love me..."

"That sounds too dangerous, Illidan. And as a Bloodknight, putting Kael'thas in any sort of danger is against my oath. Do you mean to… fake his death? Perhaps hide him somewhere?"

Illidan narrowed his eyes at her. "You are a Bloodknight, a living tool of death. How can you be afraid of it?"

"I'm not afraid, I just think that… Look, I don't like what it sounds like you want me to do? Maybe you're immortal but he isn't, Illidan. We have to be careful!"

Illidan sat down in his throne and scratched his head, behind the massive curved horns. He was beginning to see why, when he eavesdropped through the Soul Link, Kael'thas tuned Saturna out sometimes. Illidan quietly decided that he found Saturna to be vastly annoying, though she was very pretty. At least Lady Vashj could keep up with him.

"Do you know why he calls you Starshine?" Illidan raised his voice over hers.

Saturna stopped in the middle of what had turned into a frantic fangirl tangent.

She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, thinking. "You know, I have no idea? I never asked him. It _is _weird though. I always thought it was a bit too Night Elven but Kael'thas likes it so much. I think it just means something special to him--"

Illidan came back to the large stone meeting table. "I used to call Tyrande that."

Saturna flinched.

"Oh, don't put too much thought into it, Starshine. So many things come and go through our Soul Link. Kael'thas is bound to confuse his thoughts, some of his feelings, even his personality for my own. It's actually funny when you think about it. I mean, did you really fall in love with Kael'thas or with the parts of him that belong to me?" Illidan shrugged, "Oh well, I suppose we'll never know whom you're _really_ in love with." And then Illidan laughed as if it were a simple coincidence like two people sharing the same name but with a different spelling, or having the same birthday.

Saturna spent the next few panicked moments trying to convince herself that it wasn't.

She ended up with, "My, it's getting late, isn't it! Kael'thas should be back soon. Or if not... I should contact him on the Scrying Orb and see what he's up to, at least. Um... Illidan, this was nice but I want to go back to the Golden Shrine and meet him."

Illidan banished his disappointed look and eased into a smile. Saturna waited uncomfortably while he came forward and gave her one last affectionate stroke under the chin. Then he leaned in, kissed her cheek softly and whispered into her ear, "Enjoy him then, Love. In fact, tell him that I said hello."

Saturna backed away, blushing. Illidan did not break the loving gaze they shared until the doors drifted closed behind her. Then to himself he laughed, "Really, this is too easy."

Illidan went to his Scrying Orb that he kept under a dark cloth in the corner. After unveiling it, he waved a hand to activate it...

"Yes Illidan?" Came Kael'thas' voice along with a view of him sitting close by at his desk in Tempest Keep. He was engrossed in some complex document, other papers and frantic people rushing everywhere. "And why aren't you using the Soul Link?"

"It's fluctuating very badly right now, and this is important, old friend."

"Alright. But first, you'll be happy to know we found what you needed… Just wrapping up the final pieces to meet your generous deadline." Kael'thas began to smile, relieved.

Illidan shook his head. "No you haven't. Mere ledgers aren't proof enough, Kael'thas. How do I know you didn't forge them?"

"What! Before you said the ledgers were all you needed--" His other advisors in the background began to complain loudly as well.

"Don't take that tone with me, when you are at _my_ mercy. It's bad enough you've pushed me this far, to extremes. I'm sending one of my Demons over there, to oversee what you're doing. Every single signature had better be authentic. I'm still wondering where all those spare Fel Reaver parts ended up… your scientists were supposed to inspect them but they never left Tempest Keep. Am I to assume that you created your own? It takes counsel of Burning Legion engineers to put something like that back together—"

"I'll take care of it." Kael'thas angrily cut him off when his colleagues began to wonder about this.

"Good. You can't afford to disappoint me Kael'thas."

When their conversation was over and Kael'thas should have been eager to be free of him, the Blood Elf Prince put down his work instead. He gave his full attention to the scrying orb at the edge of his desk. "It's strange how your mercy fluctuates, isn't it Illidan? It's almost as if... you didn't want me to come back."

"Do you dare question my—"

"How is Saturna?"

Illidan, with all his power over the Soul Link, was caught off guard by this question. Though Kael'thas was secretive at times, Illidan could tell that his friend still respected and admired him like always. Even now that they were currently at odds. However, Illidan knew from experience that Kael'thas never liked to think about his Demon friend and Saturna together in a romantic way. The very idea instantly made Kael'thas so jealous that it was obvious he was really insecure deep down. Because it embarrassed Kael'thas so much, the uncomfortable notion was never supposed to come up.

And that hesitation, the time Illidan needed to think through his friend's sudden shift in behavior, was the small trap Kael'thas needed Illidan to fall into. There could be no reasonable answer from Illidan to that question, except callous indifference.

"I… haven't seen her."

Kael'thas leaned back in his chair, arrogant bemusement on his face. If it wasn't for their Soul Link, Illidan might have been completely fooled about his friend's reaction. "No of course you haven't. You know better than that, old friend. At least… I thought you did." He was bold. Kael'thas didn't care that his own Advisors were now reeling over the implications. They should have been upset about their Prince's possible connection to the Burning Legion, which Illidan had strategically implied, to keep the conversation in check. Now Kael'thas was in charge. And his smile intimated that he realized this and enjoyed it immensely.

Illidan snarled at Kael'thas, but could say nothing.

Kael'thas did not even say goodbye to Illidan. "You are very lucky that I have work to do... And that, in addition to the fact that I trust Saturna completely, I also happen to know that my woman is repulsed by you. Brother." Kael'thas snorted aristocratic laughter and waved his hand over the red crystal. It flickered out.

Illidan knew Kael'thas too well. This wasn't the end of it, not when Kael'thas was working so hard to make him think the matter was settled. Illidan cursed Kael'thas and resolved to act now, and either convince Saturna to do his will before it was too late. The Demon Lord closed his eyes and delved once more into the black dream world…

At just that moment in the Golden Shrine, Saturna reached for the scrying orb on Kael'thas' desk. It began to glow on its own, he was trying to contact her. She smiled and went to pick it up... then her mind went blank.

_Saturna looked up and all she could see was Illidan Stormrage. She was pressed up against his muscular chest as he lay ontop of her. She struggled against the great man, moved her face against his chest to see, to breathe. She did not want this, but was trapped inside of a new self, a body that wanted Illidan, that cried out for him. Her mouth... it tasted like lipstick. She saw the red, a red like blood smeared against Illidan's pectoral muscles. There were so many smudged kisses there. This other Saturna wanted Illidan badly, called him Master, thanked him for showing her the way... It spread its legs open wide and when Illidan entered her, the hot stiff phallus made this new Saturna sigh relief, whimper with joy. But not as a broken woman, who was defeated. This woman was free. Free of Kael'thas' lies, free of duty, free of morality. It dared to look the Demon Lord of Outland in the eyes, to reach arms up around his wide sweaty back as he slowly and purposefully moved her. And Illidan felt good. The sheer size of the man, all of him, was enticing. He was incredibly masculine, so much sweaty man..._

_Saturna wondered in awe at Illidan's curious features as he laughed delighted for them both, confident, mocking… The fel runes on his chest glowed in pulses, his wings teased her. She wanted to see exactly what they were doing, but they kept playing with the torch light, making it flicker in and out. And then were his perfect curved horns. They weren't frightening anymore but feral, sexy. Perhaps she had always thought... that Illidan wore them well. That he scared the hell out of her, that was thing... just like Kael'thas. Or was Kael'thas a meager watered-down version of the real thing? And if they were the same... couldn't she embrace this new shameless self that simply wanted him? There was nothing wrong with desiring Illidan Stormrage. There was everything right about... showing your passion for a beautiful man. And that was what Illidan was, what he had been before he consumed the Skull of Gul'dan and even now: beautiful, perfect._

_At last Saturna took over that body, raised its arms up high, higher, grabbed the massive black horns and pulled. Pulled! Illidan purred for her again, loud and evil this time. She laughed wildly and rubbed her hands over the smooth horns, rubbed herself over the rough cock and gratefully leaned up, kissed a throbbing crimson stain directly onto his lips._

"_Do you want more? Do you crave release?" Illidan laughed at her. "This is only a dream Starshine. You must come to me. Come now! Get yourself to my lair and then... I shall finish you. Your Master commands it…" _

_Saturna felt herself getting up. She longed to be obedient... but something held her down. She raged in vain against it. Then white light seared the black of the dream, like a knife cutting through paper. The explosion of consciousness blinded her. Saturna felt herself waking…_

"No... Oh, my Master…"

Blazing green eyes put everything out of focus at first, though she still felt Illidan with her. Then, she saw golden hair slip over his shoulder. Next, her cheek was hot. His palm tingled with magic where it was pressed against the side of her face.

At last came the sick lustful smile… She knew it well. "Master…" he smiled, "You've never called me that before."

Saturna saw Kael'thas over her and screamed.

"What are you doing?" she panicked, "I didn't ask you here…"

Kael'thas looked a bit confused, but was even more turned on. "Starshine, it's called make up sex, and very, very good might I add… you've never dressed up like this before, making your lips crimson. I love it! I love you... Oh no you don't." he grabbed her hips when she tried to end it. "Don't move away now, love. You know that I'll be a bear all night if you don't let me finish."

Saturna saw the stained red lipstick kiss on Kael'thas' face. There were more smeared all over his chest. She flexed her fingers and looked up to see that she'd grabbed hold of two golden legs of the bedside table. The low Thalassian bed made reaching back that far overhead easy.

Kael'thas moaned deep down in his throat after a final, forceful thrust. Gasping and smiling, he lay his head on her shoulder. When she didn't react at all, Kael'thas reached over and pried her fingers from around the slender gold pipe table legs. Saturna watched him kiss her bruised fingers, that's how hard she'd been pulling, then he nestled into her once more.

"Darling I love you. Thank you." he said.

Saturna was still trying to put it all together. She'd only dreamed that she was having sex with Illidan Stormrage? And somehow, Kael'thas turned out to be more terrifying to her than that. Saturna took in the red bed covers, the rose-colored veil. It was all the same color as the Thalassian couch in Illidan's lair... when she kissed Illidan this morning and almost...

Saturna felt a stab of guilt, and self-consciously went on the defensive. "Why are you thanking me? How did you even get in here?"

Kael'thas still hugged her. "I'm so sorry, love. It took me a long while to realize you were sleep-walking. I tried to get you out of it just now, but when you want something, my Starshine, you can be so perfectly distracting." Kael'thas kissed her neck, then something occurred to him and he became solemn. "I take that to mean... that you didn't hear any of my apology when I arrived?"

Saturna sat up. Kael'thas clearly didn't want to, but he let her.

"You… apologized to me? When?"

Kael'thas looked deeply hurt. " 'I'm sorry'…that's all I could say at first, but then you… well, you were lying in the bed and so happy to see me, I gained courage. I begged your forgiveness for the terrible things I said, for leaving you, for being such a… damned asshole to you. You weren't aware of any of that? I practically got down on my knees and begged you. Did you really only wake up just now? And… that wasn't a scream of pleasure?"

Saturna looked around the room. The golden mosaic reflected a faint moonbeam from the ruined dome above, but besides that and the lantern near the bed, everything was dark. It was very late at night.

Kael'thas scratched his head. Saturna was startled to notice it was so reminiscent of the way Illidan did it, high up on the crown behind where his horns were. "And I didn't sneak in here, as you almost accused me of. Besides this being _my_ room, I'm a mage. I missed you so I told the others to take a break from searching reports to sleep for a few hours. Then, I just opened a portal and came to see you Saturna. I'm exhausted too, but really, I wanted to see you more. I was worried about you. The things I said… I just can't believe I got _that_ angry. You're right, I lash out when I'm afraid, and Illidan said some horrible things to me in Demonic this morning. I guess that with the baby and everything else going on, I finally let him get to me. Ugh, it was almost like he was baiting me, trying to get some kind of reaction out of me. I was scared shitless right then when you got upset with me. So, do you at last understand? Do you forgive me? I know that by all rights I don't deserve it…"

Saturna rubbed her forehead, feeling strange. Kael'thas felt it with the back of his hand. "No, you're healthy." He reached down and felt her stomach. "And the baby seems fine. You just had a very intense dream, that's all." He kissed her neck, nicked her softly with his teeth. "A shame I had to bring you out of it. You were really enjoying me, in your dream. Starting to wish I was a Saturna fan… then maybe I'd have such excellent sex dreams about you, love."

Saturna decided that she was not going to tell Kael'thas that she had actually been fantasizing about Illidan, and had wanted to go to him. It was for the benefit of everyone, especially Kael'thas. She needed him to be on her side now more than ever, that she and Illidan were trying to save him.

"Kael'thas, are you truly sorry? I… I was terrified of you this morning when you just left me. After, Pyorin came and I didn't even have time to think before... Well, without you, I had to stand before Illidan alone."

Kael'thas became serious. "That jackal called for you, while I wasn't here?"

"Well, it wasn't Pyorin's idea. Illidan needed to see me."

"Why?"

Saturna worked to remember the reason. "I… don't remember why exactly. He never said. But he congratulated me, us, on the baby."

"Saturna, you were afraid that he would hurt you… While I was working... Something happened and I got a feeling that maybe you might be right and I started to worry. Tell me, did Illidan do anything against you, anything at all? How did he speak to you?"

Saturna could feel Kael'thas getting angry. "Kael'thas, please calm down. Illidan and I, we just talked." she looked away. "Illidan can be very pleasant, actually. He's likeable and charming. And, he's poetic." She smiled. "He even told me about him and Tyrande."

"You're a fan of him all of a sudden?"

"He's not a bad guy, I guess. Just worried about you. We both are."

"I can take care of myself." Kael'thas ran fingers through his long hair and lay back down. "Well, it looks like I was right from the start. Illidan is not a threat to us, since I've got him wrapped around my little finger. But more importantly Saturna, we are very close to finding everything he needs over at Tempest Keep, so we'll be able to quell his madness once and for all. I'll be coming back to take you home soon." He grinned slyly at her.

"Home? So soon?"

"What, do you _like_ being cooped up in here with no one but a psychotic Demon Lord to talk to? I know I don't."

"No… I guess not. What _is_ your obsession with my fingers?"

Kael'thas gave Saturna a meaningful look, while he played with the ring finger on her left hand. He didn't say it. He didn't have to. "I'm going to make everything up to you, Starshine. I've been wrong, so wrong… I had time to think over in Tempest Keep." He left it at that.

Saturna covered her mouth with her other hand. "Oh, Kael'thas,"

"Look how eager you are… but I haven't even asked the question yet, since your ring is being crafted as we speak. But tomorrow it will be ready… I'm going to make you wait until tomorrow." He leaned up and kissed her. "Will you still be angry with me then?"

And then, like always came that mind-numbing kiss. Kael'thas was doing it again, she realized. It wasn't supposed to be this easy for him. Kael'thas had said terrible things to her, cruel things… He said that he had apologized, but had he changed? At the core of all that bad behavior was a lack of respect, as Illidan clairvoyantly pointed out to her a few hours ago. Nor had Kael'thas said anything about taking she and their son back to the protection Silvermoon City. But Kael'thas knew her one true weakness and was only telling her what she wanted to hear.

Kael'thas intensified the kiss when she did not say anything. He caressed a hand up along the inside of Saturna's thigh. The devlish smile was back, his fingers handling her expertly. She knew that she shouldn't…

"Turn over." Kael'thas ordered her. He said it like the Prince of Quel'thalas.

Saturna wanted, very badly, to obey and Kael'thas knew it. She was a woman of many desperate loyalties. All of them were holding her together, the way most sin'dorei desperately needed to believe in something after their homeland had been destroyed. She would do anything for her Prince. Whether it was back home in Quel'thalas, or in Outland, in his bed—especially in his bed—wherever. Right now though, the obsession with Kael'thas was making her feel helpless. Was this what Kael'thas meant months ago, when he warned her that indulging in her fantasy would make her crazy?

Saturna gave in and did what he asked, unable to tear her gaze from this glorious man, her hero, her savior while she lay prostrate. It was not lost on Saturna that she was literally doing what Illidan warned her not to only a few hours earlier: rolling over for Kael'thas.

"Oh Starshine…" Kael'thas licked and kissed against her ear as he indulged in his favorite position, "You feel, and smell, and taste… so very good."

Saturna clawed her fingers into the mattress suddenly and pulled away from him, panicked. "Wait a second, where did you get that from? How did you know to say that?"

Her tone was so sharp it gave Kael'thas pause, even now. "What? I… just wanted to say it."

"You mean that Illidan didn't… But you call me Starshine too. Now where did you get that name from? Just admit it, Kael'thas."

"I don't know… It's from this song I came up with, back before the ball. On the day you married another man, if you must know. But later on, I won you back. 'My very own shining star…' I'm not going to let you embarrass me any further by singing it, when we're supposed to be... In fact, why in the _hell_ are you talking about Illidan right now?"

Saturna looked up over her shoulder at him. "But he said… did you know that was also Illidan's nickname for Tyrande?"

Kael'thas gave up and sat down next to her. He sounded exasperated. "If you didn't want me to take you like that, why didn't you just say so? Talking about Illidan at a time like this is far worse than rejection."

"No, I'm serious. Illidan told me—"

"Lesson number one. Illidan Stormrage is a liar. You should know this if you insist on spending quality time chatting with my dear old friend. I'd call him a pathological liar but Illidan _can_ help himself. He simply chooses not to, whenever it suits his purposes. And when he speaks in Demonic it's even worse. His madness further compounds the strength of the suggestive Demon language, it's brilliant really, the way Illidan uses his mental state to his advantage. You see, there _is_ a vein of truth in everything that Illlidan says, but normally it's such a twisted version of reality, you'd get lost trying to sort it all out right on the spot. Therefore, a powerful half-demon like him can manipulate a person's perception of reality easily. However, no one--man or Demon--can change how you feel about something. Feelings are the thing. They drive us as sure as instinct, they are inviolate. A Demon will try to change your way of thinking in order to manipulate your feelings. If they can gain control over what you feel, then they can predict your corresponding actions. And if you know a man's will, intimately, then you own him as surely as a slave.

Kael'thas eased back down by her side and laughed to himself. "Now, what I always do when chatting with Illidan is trust my gut feelings… and admittedly, I tune him out from time to time. I've found that _not_ listening to Illidan and pretending to pay attention is more than an effective way to deal with him." Kael'thas boasted in his scholarly arrogant way. "Well, you're new at interacting with Demons, Saturna, you'll get the hang of it. Once Illidan and I are back on the same page, this will actually be a relief, to see the woman I love and someone I admire get along well, for once. That was always sort of a sore spot for me, that you and Illidan never spoke." He smiled at her a little. "Well anyways, Illidan never said anything to me about Tyrande having a nickname. 'Tyrande', that's what he calls her. And just like that too, taking his time, being careful with every syllable…honestly I think he gets a little something out of saying her name. No, I seriously doubt he calls her Starshine. If he told you that he did, then he was either lying, or he's so fond of me—his supposed brother—that he's convinced himself that he always called her a name that I came up with. Satisfied?"

Saturna sat up and looked out into the dark room, truly baffled.

"But why would he tell me something like that?"

Kael'thas sighed. "Because he isn't perfect... though Illidan likes people to think that he is. Illidan makes mistakes… mad people, especially, make mistakes. Maybe it's even a comfort for him to think that I took his habits, his personality, his thoughts along with his Demon strength when we became Soul Linked, because that would mean we share even more together. But really—and maybe this is my fault when I could have warned you—Illidan copies what I say and do and think, a lot. A whole lot. So much that I hate thinking about it, or telling anyone else about it… but it's really just embarrassing and disturbing, not harmful in any way." Kael'thas shrugged.

Now Saturna was really confused. She wanted to believe what Kael'thas was telling her, but that still went so well with what Illidan said… If Kael'thas was so very insecure, a hopeless bookworm, then wouldn't he _want_ to hide the fact that he was borrowing his friend's personality? Both Kael'thas and Illidan were saying the exact same thing really. And the more Saturna tried to logically think through the problem, the more lost she became… but didn't Kael'thas just warn her that would happen? Or, did that mean Kael'thas was speaking to her now, the way that Illidan did, to trick her…

"Starshine?"

"Yes, Lord Illidan?"

Kael'thas looked offended. Saturna yelped and covered her mouth.

"Alright, Saturna… I am only going to ask you this once. There is a good chance–okay, so more than a good chance knowing my temper–that I'm just imagining things, and I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have by making accusations. But my entire history with women, and my love for you compels me to at least get this off my chest… Is there something going on between you and Illidan?"

"No!"

Kael'thas exhaled slowly, relieved, and then hugged her. "I'm so sorry I had to go that far, but you were scaring me. The dream you didn't want me to interrupt, then spurning me, the business about the nickname, and now your confusing me for him, … my fears just got the better of me, that's all. Here, let's at least lay down for a bit, be peaceful together for a moment before I have to go back."

They lay back down together and Kael'thas kissed her neck. Saturna wasn't entirely sure why she just lied to him about kissing Illidan… but it must have been something close to the reason why Kael'thas was now leaving such careful bruises on her neck, flushed hickeys that Illidan and everyone else would be able to see. Evidently, Kael'thas feared to say or do anything more that might cause him to lose her. However, that did not mean he would do nothing at all.

They rested together for a while, but Kael'thas couldn't stay all night. About an hour later, he said that he had to get back and finish the document search 'to appease mighty Illidan.' Saturna laughed and walked him back to the golden mosaic, where he again conjured a portal to Tempest Keep. This time, Kael'thas gave her a long kiss goodbye and made sure that she knew he loved her.

Moments after Kael'thas departed, a Demon messenger arrived at the Golden Shrine and announced that the Lord of Outland wanted to see Saturna again. It was incredibly late into the night by then, but Saturna agreed and got dressed in her black plate and went anyway. She suddenly had an urge to have words with him as well.

When Saturna was again in his presence, Illidan eyed her neck, folded his arms across his chest and said, "You're pathetic."

"Excuse me?"

"He offers to marry you, and then takes you like that… and all your resolve, the careful defense I helped you to build today, is cast to the winds. Are you truly that easy?"

"I am _not_ easy—"

"Oh, you aren't are you?" Illidan paced away a few steps. "Your engagement ring is beautiful you know… a deep royal purple eternium band, a lone pristine black diamond…"

Saturna hopped up on her toes.

"That is what I am talking about! YOU FOOL! Saturna Whiteblade, I am not surprised that my friend does not take you seriously, not when you _act_ like a schoolgirl." Illidan huffed, "And as if he would ever really marry you…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Illidan wouldn't say.

Saturna heated. "That's just your opinion. Kael'thas loves me."

"Kael'thas wouldn't know what to do with a woman if she fell into his lap, which is exactly what happened with you if you need proof. You bring him a family and real affection, and he isn't even mature enough to see what kind of a gift that is. _I_ would never make that mistake, if I were so lucky…"

Saturna took a step closer to Illidan. "I know what you want, that you have been trying to seduce me all this time with your mind games. I only came here at this hour of the night to assure you that we won't be doing that."

Illidan smiled. "Ah, but we already have. You were thinking of me when he was with you. Weren't you, Saturna?"

"How… how could you possibly know that?"

"I know everything. Also, I know that you love me. You really love me and not Kael'thas. I don't care what he said to you. He stole the charm, the sexual prowess, everything from me. And he used it to get to you, once again."

"But I don't want to marry _you_!" though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. "I want to marry Kael'thas!"

Illidan smiled fiendishly. "But Starshine… I _am_ Kael'thas."

"Stop it!" she cried. Saturna had to lean on the stone table to steady herself. "Your words are suffocating… my mind is in a fog. Kael'thas was right, you _are_ speaking to me in Demonic, aren't you? You're trying to confuse me on purpose… I… just this morning you were being so logical, and now you're unraveling everything. Do you want my help to save Kael'thas or not? If so, then stop speaking to me in the Demon language!"

Illidan seethed and grabbed her shoulders. "Like I said earlier, I want to convince you, not force you. I must do it this way. If I convince you to do my will, then there is no chance that you may make a mistake and ruin our chance to redeem him. Listen to me! If you want to save him, there is only one way you can do it. Swear to me… I am trying to make this easier on you. Just give in. Give in to me, or to your love, your hate… it doesn't matter. But make the choice, now, to betray him!" Illidan kissed her.

"But you won't even tell me what it is I have to do…" Saturna fought him half-heartedly. The Demonic was too strong… overpowering her will.

"There is only one way for Kael'thas to be redeemed. You know what that is."

Saturna began shaking her head.

"Sacrifice him for the cause, Saturna." Illidan wrestled her into his arms. He kissed her harder and fought with her as if giving into him sexually was really the same thing as taking a moral stand to help Kael'thas. "Look at me, Saturna, when you know that I am speaking the truth. Your people need a future. Generations of Blood Elves to come cannot know that your Prince went to the Burning Legion, to the very people who murdered his father, their beloved King Anasterian. You are the only one who can do it, this mercy killing. In time you will be hailed as a hero. I will do everything in my power to help spread that message. The whole Black Temple will be behind you, you know that I am capable of it. But _you_ must be the one to kill him. You are the only one Kael'thas will not suspect. Furthermore, you are the best one to do it, because you love him so deeply, you understand. You would do it with kindness, with dignity. Saturna, don't you also think that your child deserves better, than to have a hateful father in the Burning Legion…"

"Illidan, this is madness! I thought you said we could save him. I just can't… I love Kael'thas, I won't betray him!"

"If you love Kael'thas, then you truly love me. Therefore, you cannot possibly betray that love through aiding me, by killing a man who doesn't even exist!"

"Stop... my head... it hurts, I can't even think because of you!"

"That man is damned! Kael'thas won't stop indulging in his dark desires, not for me, not for you, not for his country, and not even for his son! You know this, you've said this to him!"

Saturna looked up at Illidan, helpless in his arms and horrified. "How much have you heard?"

He snarled at her. "Everything. I have always known everything. That is how strong I am. You cannot resist me, Saturna Whiteblade. Either give into me… or else, I will have to break you. Do you want me to force you? I would happily force you…" he kissed her again.

"Everything that you said this morning… is a lie. You're still angry at Kael'thas because of the dream, you want revenge and you want me to carry it out, is that it? And what you are doing to me is no different from the dream. You are playing games with my head, trying to get me to buy into your madness." She cried. "Already, I have lied to him for you… how could I do that to Kael'thas? I had a chance to tell him that you were a full Demon, and that you we kissed... But you made me feel guilty, you've been seducing me on purpose so that I wouldn't tell on myself. Oh, why didn't I see this before… you are just like him!"

"No, Saturna, this is not madness. I never lied to you. He and I are one, to love one is to love the other, the Demon and his master. But Kael'thas is tainted. I am making the greatest sacrifice, I am being strong for both of us, to have you do this. Saturna, both you and I have heartbeats, we feel pain, we bleed… we have fear of death. This Kael'thas does not have! He chooses to do the most horrible things, to abandon his friends, his own people, he would even destroy the people who love him. Kael'thas is a monster because he knows what is right, but he refuses to help along justice. Even I, even the one they call The Betrayer, evil Illidan… _I _hate the Legion, I will fight them until my very last breath." He shook her. "You will fight them until _your_ last breath. Kael'thas is the enemy in our midst, he is one of them. It is too late for him and must be slain. Then we can tell all the people of the world whatever we want, rewrite the story… his legacy will be one of hope, salvation. You can tell your son that his father was a hero!"

"I won't do it… what is wrong with you? I first came in here fearing for my life, and then you… now I feel desire for you. I never felt that before. But that was only because you told me that you were Kael'thas… and that doesn't make any sense! I don't care how you rationalize murder Illidan. I won't do it!"

"He _deserves_ to die, for what he did to me! Don't tell me that you don't want to stand over him for once, that you don't want to beat him for beating you, lie to him for lying to you, use him the way that he used you. Kael'thas has brought this upon himself. He should feel it! He should know real pain, at last, before he dies. And he will die, he will pay the price for his misdeeds."

"You sound just like the Shatar!" Saturna accused him.

Illidan became furious with her then. He dug the claws of one hand into her black plate, raised the other as if to strike her. Saturna wrested enough of her own hands free to cast a powerful exorcism spell on Illidan, directly in his face. He roared, let her loose to cover his burning eyes.

It was not enough to subdue him, Saturna knew. There was only one person who might be able to do battle with Illidan Stormrage and protect her. Saturna only hoped she could tell the one she loved in time…

Saturna ran for her life. She reached the Golden Shrine and ordered the guards not to allow anyone in.

On the desk, Kael'thas' red scrying orb sat in the mess of papers he left that morning. Normally, only mages and other magically-inclined people could effectively use scrying orbs but he showed her how to use it once before.

"Kael'thas!" she called into the red glow.

But it wasn't Kael'thas she saw at his desk in Tempest Keep. Advisor Sorn adjusted his monocle and peered at her. "Lady Saturna. I thought you'd be asleep at this hour? Well, either way, there was an emergency of some kind. Prince Kael'thas wouldn't explain but rushed to 'see to one of the Keep's lei lines.' Then he said not to worry. So impulsive of him. May I take your message?"

How did one boil down 'your best friend is a full Demon that's been trying to seduce me into killing you over the last twenty four hours' into a polite message?

"Really, My Lady, you should not be calling on him anyway. We're all very busy over here."

"Sorn! Tell him that—"

Sorn's visage faded from view as she spoke. The light from the red crystal ball grew thick, so thick that it obscured images and sound. It was heating up, fast. Saturna saw it coming only at the last moment because it should have been impossible, just barely managing to raise her arms and shield her face.

The red glass exploded.

What would make it do that? Saturna panicked. Everything was going to be alright, she was going to warn Kael'thas… this couldn't be happening…

The floor began to rumble. Saturna held onto the desk for support, and cut her hand on a red shard of glass. She was so frightened by what she thought could be happening, she almost forgot to heal herself. The desk, the bookshelves, the bed, the little golden table near that, everything shook and trembled. Books fell from the shelves. Only the moonlight from the ruined dome above was constant, and in that quiet white beam she saw the glittering yellow mosaic tiles clatter free. When they got loose from the old mortar they slowly floated up into the flow of Light magic that emanated from the convergence of lei lines. It was invisible to the naked eye, Kael'thas told her. But sometimes, he could sense it so well, it was like he was seeing it. It was exhilarating, beautiful.

Kael'thas had a theory that, if man at his core was the pure essence of Light magic, then couldn't he be made to return to that state and travel through lines of Light Magic? He said it wasn't so far off from conjuring a phoenix or any other spell. One could simply stand on a lei line and conjure one's self, ascend and travel wherever the magic flowed. Immediately after, Kael'thas promised her that he wouldn't try it unless there was an emergency. Clinging to the wall, Saturna let herself enjoy how beautiful it was. He was coming. Through the Soul Link he already knew…

More and more gold tiles were torn up from their resting place, floated through the air as high as the dome. The rate of flowing magic increased, the quaking of the earth nearly unbearable. At last, the Sunfury Guards outside rushed in.

The lei line erupted like a volcano and they were thrown back. Saturna and the four guards clung to each other. Concentrated yellow Light magic tore a hole in the floor, sent the regular white ancient tiles flying. She and the others crawled back toward the door, covered their faces but still dared to look… it was horrible but also beautiful, the self-destruction of the Golden Shrine. What Kael'thas was doing was amazing and dangerous. Saturna felt relieved. Just like him…

Then, it stopped. Tiny precious gold stone rained down all at once, and when that was over, silence.

Saturna and the others got uneasily to their feet. She turned to see there was a crowd of Demons, Fel Orcs and Naga at the open doors behind them. Their wings of the temple were closest. After a long moment of inactivity from the lei line, the Sunfury guards went to work ushering the onlookers back.

One of Sunfury guards came over and discreetly told Saturna, "My Lady, I think that was only a spike in magic. The Prince warned us it could happen one day. This is the last uncorrupted lei line in the Black Temple, being made of Light magic and all. This sort of disruption was inevitable. Would you like us to prepare someplace else for you to sleep tonight?"

Saturna opened her mouth, but something made her say, "No."

"Oh? Well... Good Night then, My Lady…"

Saturna heard the double wood doors slam shut before she realized they were leaving her. She blinked the strange feeling that came over her away. The ruined lei line nearby her hummed in low pulses. She knelt to peer into it, overcome with the sort of curiosity only a Blood Elf could achieve after such an event. Bright white magic flowed beneath a foot of solid rock floor. But there was something else too. Something vile… A vein of black magic raced along with the white, then it all washed black, a putrid green.

Where was Kael'thas?

"He's not coming, Starshine."

Saturna screamed when she saw Illidan Stormrage suddenly decloak behind her. She didn't even know he was able to do that, to stealth and hide. Illidan swiped the air with a claw, and black shadow raced along the walls. Saturna saw the doors open, but just as quickly, her only escape was lost. Black along the other wall hurtled towards black, finally the two dark shrouds of magic joined and even the moonlight was gone. Saturna looked up. The dome had been sealed, finally, because she was trapped.

"Now you can scream all you want."

Saturna crawled backward, away from the befouled lei line and away from him. "Whatever it is that you are doing…"

"I borrowed the idea from my friend. Perhaps you know him…"

"Leave me alone!"

"But you see, I can't. You wouldn't let me convince you. Now, I have no choice. I am going to break you Saturna Whiteblade."

"You're just confused…" she tried to find her Corrupted Ashbringer but it wasn't on the weapon rack where she left it. Illidan pointed for her. The metal stand lay pressed up against the wall with her sword. Just beyond the thin film of black magic that held everything back.

"No… What are you going to do to me Illidan? Would you hurt the mother of your friend's child?"

"Foolish woman. This is the way of nature. Do you know what the stallion does to mares in the wild, when he takes over a new herd? He makes them run." Saturna did get up and run, his Demonic was so powerful. Illidan laughed at her, kept coming slowly and raised his voice. "He mates with them and runs them until he makes them either miscarry or replaces the seed of the last stallion with his own, of the stronger horse. And sometimes… both. That is what I am going to do to you."

Saturna kept screaming for help, banged against the doors closed beyond the black magic film. It was exactly like the barrier Kael'thas broke when the Shatar raiders were discovered in Illidan's chambers.

"Stop it. You're speaking madness! You said you were happy for us."

"No, I'm not mad Saturna Whiteblade. This is what I want, what I've always wanted from you. What makes you think I want you anywhere near my friend? Maybe I want to erase you and all semblance of you from his life so that he can be free of your empty promises, your wanting to steal him off to Silvermoon, to Azeroth where he will be torn to pieces! All because you want to be a queen? To fulfill your delusional fantasies?"

"No… Kael'thas would never let you." Fully panicked now, Saturna raced back across the room, hid under the desk. It couldn't possibly help, she had to know that, but the fear screamed in her mind.

Saturna could see Illidan's cloven feet from where he stood on the other side of the desk.

"Kael'thas isn't here now is he?" Illidan calmly observed. Then Illidan suddenly peered underneath the desk, through the sliver of space between the wood and the tiled floor, and smiled at her, showing all his pointed teeth. Saturna cried and tried to crawl the other way. Illidan laughed and punched a hole through the wood, grabbed her leg. He then pulled her until her hips were caught against the small opening and she could be dragged out no further. Half exposed, Illidan began to tear through her plate armor, peel with a claw, as if it were nothing. When it was bare and he licking her skin with his long forked tongue. Saturna had been reaching for a book, something, anything to turn white with her spell. But Saturna's mind went blank with fear right then, at Illidan's vile touch. It was the worst sensation she'd ever experienced, like cockroaches crawling all over your calf and then high up, between her legs. Illidan's tongue incensed every pore in her skin, enflamed it with that chain reaction of horrid feeling though his slithering Demon tongue didn't reach that far.

"Do you know that every time he wanted you, every time he looked at you, smelled you, tasted you… I felt it? When he rose stiff for you, I rose. And then when he was inside of you, so soft… I felt all of it as if I were doing it myself, but it wasn't me. Do you know what kind of torture that was? I've fucked you a thousand times in my mind, but never in the flesh. Hard and long, I've ravished you, I've had you over Nagrand, on this desk, in that bed, everywhere, absolutely everywhere. And he expects me to just sit back and watch? That's selfish, Saturna. It's wrong to torture your friend like that, when he has no one of his own."

Saturna lashed out and kicked him wildly from beneath the desk. She dug her nails into the crumbling white between tiles on the floor.

Illidan got tired of playing with her–just playing! And overturned the desk with one free arm. It crashed. Saturna instinctively let go to cover her head. She thought she would be crushed. Illidan growled and dragged her between his legs, peeled more of her black armor off as if it were just paper. Tearing metal, it made a horrible tortured noise as what was never meant to be pulled apart was easily bent thousands of times and broken.

When Saturna was naked, and reduced to begging for mercy, Illidan at last paused.

"Please, don't do this to me. I don't want this… My baby... You _must_ have some compassion, you are like Kael'thas." Saturna begged. She could barely see clearly, for all the tears.

Illidan regarded her silently for a moment, then. "No, I don't think I want you on the floor. I want you in the bed, the way he has you." He wrapped one arm around Saturna's waist, that was all it took, and carried her there. As he walked he added, "And about me and Kael'thas. Yes we are the same. We share so many things together, except for two important elements that after tonight, you will never forget."

Saturna clawed at him, she lashed about, cursed at him. He tore the red veil around the bed out of his way, ruining it and threw her down.

"One! He never let me have you, though he knew I wanted you, that I couldn't help myself. And two," he leaned in closer and sneered at her. "I understand all his love for you and spoiling of you, Saturna Whiteblade, but it makes no difference. I really don't like you very much."

Saturna slapped his face and tried to get up. Illidan grabbed both her shoulders and slammed her back down, hard. It knocked the wind out of her.

"You will find that I like it, the more that you struggle."

Illidan continued speaking to her, as he worked his pants off with the free hand that wasn't holding her down. "You will think of Kael'thas as I do this to you. You will try to think of him to find comfort, but in the end you won't. You will call his name and he won't come. You will hate me, but then you will hate him more. And then… then I can make you kill him."

Saturna cried and screamed. Illidan was able to hold both of her wrists together above her head in one large hand. He pressed them into the red pillows. His other hand, and his hips were free to abuse her however he pleased. Illidan spared nothing, completely indulging in the moment he'd waited so long for. He gored her with his sharp teeth, rubbed her until she bled, and then laughed at her because no matter how she struggled, her pain, her despair made him even more excited. The more aroused Illidan became the more terrible he was to her.

Saturna wanted to die, she begged Illidan many times to just kill her. If not from his cruelty, she would surely die from the shame, she mourned hoarse after some hours when she could no longer scream. He responded by sending flickers of the dream he gave her–now she knew he had done it–back into her mind's eye. Sex with him could not be a curious, amazing thing. That too, had been a horrific lie. He cruelly contrasted her pleasure then with her suffering now to make that as clear as possible. For some reason, it was just as important to Illidan that he have her in this physical way as it was to abuse her mind, break her spirit. It was so palpable what he told her, that he'd always wanted her, that he always wanted to do these things to her. He indulged in every way possible.

It did not feel good. It did not feel right. It was not sex. Something this horrific could never be. This was cold-blooded violence. And Saturna did cry for Kael'thas during those longest hours of her life, until the sun must have risen. But he did not come. Saturna at last gave up hope and began to curse the man who was supposed to be the sun in her sky. Kael'thas had every reason to be, but he was not. It broke her heart.

"Ahh, at last, we have music." Illidan breathed heavy over the broken woman, her blood dripped from that too familiar, sick lustful smile, "What beautiful sounds you are making." Even the betrayal, the one he had been working so hard all day to elicit from her did not quell Illidan's thirst for her. He stabbed her painfully, exactly with his claws everywhere except for that one fragile vein in her wrist that could take her life. Then, Illidan leaned over her and lapped up the hot blood from her wounds.

"How sweet this is … the fleeting love of my brother. The beginning of the end..."


	26. Legacy of the Whiteblade, Part I

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Legacy of the Whiteblade, Part I **

**Finding the will to live or the strength to die  
**

_Do you see how I have let you run away after we lay together, and it makes no difference? I broke you like a demoness in my harem. We are soul linked now Saturna. There is only one way out, one way to ease your suffering. Give into my will that claws at your heart. Accept the Demon magic I am so eager to give you. And the hate you have for Kael'thas… don't run from it. Hate is a powerful magic, it can make you strong enough to take the revenge you seek._

Saturna gazed over the jagged edge of the roof of the Black Temple. Dawn was just breaking. It caused the smoke trail of the Legion's infernals to burn a bright yellow as they cometed earthward on the horizon. She'd not seen this color before. How was it that fel magic could be so close to the color of the Light?

_A beautiful dichotomy. It is what you have become, a weapon forged from both sides. Will you displease me today, Saturna? Is that why you've been standing with one leg over the other side of the precipice for so long? Do you think suicide will deliver you from your fate?_

"Be quiet!" Saturna shouted at Illidan's voice in her head. The rape hadn't just been an effort to break her will, make her fear him. Illidan was in her mind now, the way he was in the minds of all his Demon lovers. Illidan was powerful, he could maintain many Soul Links at once. Now Illidan's essence, his thirst for sex and violence was with Saturna too. Pleasing Illidan was a weight on her shoulders that would be with her always.

She spoke into the wind, "You can't use me like this. I don't want to be your puppet, nor do I wish to suffer with Kael'thas. And this world has become too dark, I don't care how you've empowered me. It isn't power, Illidan, it's a collar around my neck!"

_You still have your own free will. Already, you used it to make the choice to flee from me when I finished with you last night. I let you run, and this is where you ended up, on the brink of panic. Killing yourself is not the answer._

That the man who raped her was now talking her down from the ledge... Saturna was disgusted with what had become her life. The ground looked even more inviting now.

_I feel panicked too, Saturna. Kael'thas knew I was capable of this, that in my madness I wanted you just like this. But he would not enslave me. He refused to protect you and he refused to protect me. And now your son is dead because of it. It is all his fault. Now, more than ever, Kael'thas deserves to die. You cannot go back now. _

"If I murder him, afterward you will have no use for me and you will kill me! If I do not kill Kael'thas, then I am stuck between you both like some… some toy! Why would I want to live like that? You and Kael'thas together took my son away from me… my precious baby boy." Tears were in her eyes, but Saturna let the wind take them away. She was angry. She did not want to remember that she still had a soul that could be this tortured, for her existence to hurt this much.

Saturna swung her other leg over the ledge. Now she balanced on a sliver of crumbling rock. The defiled earth of the Black Temple grounds waited for her stories below.

_I am the Demon Lord of Outland. In life and in death you are hopelessly mine. There is no pathetic rock under which you could hide, that I wouldn't find you. My Fel Orcs, or the enslaved Netherdrakes, or the Murkbloods, or the Naga, your own Blood Elf kin would gladly hunt you down for me. And Kael'thas would help me, because he would want you back too. You could not even hide in Silvermoon. Even if you died, you would be found and resurrected, and the first thing that you would see, when you again opened your eyes would be my cock coming at you—I know that you are afraid of it now!_

Saturna screamed over his voice in her head.

_Kill yourself then! Go and do what comes naturally to you, as I did when I raped you! Is that what you want, to give up?_

"Don't dare try to rationalize what you did. It was wrong! And I have no sympathy for you Illidan, I don't care how we're connected now!"

Illidan got quiet. Saturna could feel his powers searching through her, working over something. She could sense his feelings and he hers through their link. But Illidan had complete control over it. Saturna did not know how to reach within and project her own voice back at him.

Saturna flinched. She wasn't sure of what it was, but Illidan had just discovered something about her that deeply unsettled him. _No, Starshine. In fact, you are right. Yes, I hope you die. Go ahead… I want you to kill yourself, Saturna Whiteblade. You were not broken properly. I must do it again._

Saturna was overcome with blind rage. "Yes, I hate Kael'thas! I hate him because I hate you! Are you satisfied now? At the end of my life I have finally given you what you want…" As she confessed it, accepted his influence, new magic surged in Saturna. Illidan forced it through their link and it was overwhelming. Saturna felt like she was falling though she had not let go of the ledge. In the next moment it was hard to breathe… Illidan was making it feel this intense on purpose, she realized. He was pushing her off the ledge in his own way, though he was far off, deep inside of the Black Temple and she on the roof. He tried again, pushed even harder this time. The dark magic jolted her senses and Saturna couldn't hold onto anything anymore. Grief for her son that she barely held in check raged forth and ripped apart Saturna's mind. Illidan took advantage of that maelstrom, told Saturna that she had to jump. In fact she should have jumped before, months ago when Kael'thas first put his hands on her. That would have been a better fate. Time was running out...

Someone grabbed Saturna around the waist and yanked her violently around when she pushed off the ledge. She and that person fell backward onto the roof together, but Saturna went down fighting. She hit him and he twisted around, clutching his face. A flurry of long, blood-red hair.

"Nate!"

Nathaniel Blaize rubbed his cheek. "I did _not_ know that you could hit that hard."

Saturna fought the impulse to hit him again. The Demonic lust for violence waned slightly, because she had hit him already. Illidan was analyzing the situation. He relaxed his hold on her.

"Saturna, what are you doing up here? You weren't really trying to… Oh no, by the Sun! Please don't dothat. There are people who love you, who care about you. Is it Kael'thas who's got you so upset? No, it's not worth killing yourself over _him_, especially. If you're going to die at all out here in Outland, then die for your country. That's what I tell my soldiers. Don't kill yourself over a man, of all things!" Blaize knew it wasn't welcome but hugged her. "Oh Saturna… no, don't end your life over an idiot like Kael'thas."

Blaize's maligning Kael'thas appealed to Saturna now. She felt Illidan watching her enjoy that comfort. He was going to hold back manipulating her further when Blaize was already doing such an excellent job.

Saturna stepped carefully out of her ex-husband's embrace. "That sounds like what one of my girlfriends might say… if I were back home."

"Well, if my sounding like one of your girl-friends" Blaize made a face, but Saturna could tell he was poking fun at himself, to make her feel better, "is what kept you from doing something so horrible, then I'm glad for it. Now comes the easy part that seems to be old-hat for us, whether I'm your ex-husband or no. Tell me, what in the hell did Kael'thas do to you this time?"

_Leave him. Kael'thas has returned to the Golden Shrine and is looking for you._

Saturna turned to go.

"Please." Blaize touched her arm. "Maybe you don't believe me, but I still love you. I am really worried about you these days." He hesitated, then added, "And that could be _our_ child. Don't you realize that? But even if it weren't… I don't like what I just saw, Saturna. You need help. If you're going to go back to him then… at least, let me walk you there, so you arrive safely."

"It is not your son. It… wasn't your son."

"Oh no… Saturna, I'm so sorry. No wonder you—"

"Goodbye Nathaniel Blaize. Funny that you were good to me when you didn't have me… and treated me awfully when you did. Well, at least you are consistent, unlike Kael'thas. Even now, I don't understand how he can be so cruel. Every day that we've been together, he just gets worse..."

As she descended the stairs alone, Blaize called after. He sounded more upset than she'd ever known him to be in their tumultuous relationship. "Where are you Bloodknights? You should speak with them if you can't talk to me. Saturna, please. I truly am sorry for your loss. So sorry…"

But Saturna wasn't sorry. She did not want to feel sorry for herself anymore.

_Never fear, woman pet. I offered Kael'thas my magic when he first came to Outland. I urged him to give into his hate then so that he could survive the murder of his father and the fall of his country. Likewise, you have been empowered._

"And now I'm falling for the same trick, aren't I Illidan? Your magic and my hate together will help me to survive the murder of my son, and now his father. What a terrible price to pay, to save my country."

Heartbroken, Saturna laughed at the sick irony. People were frightened by her strange behavior and stared as the crazed woman sauntered down the Main Causeway. She talked to herself and walked like she was drunk. And in a way, Saturna was. Two powerful magics few people alive understand were hard at work stifling the true desires of her mind and heart. Saturna went west and then due south, toward the Golden Shrine.

The Sunfury Guards announced her. The doors opened and she steeled herself. The new desire to deceive, to take revenge made Saturna's knees feel weak. It wasn't just the armor Illidan had reforged for her, with his own black blood. Saturna knew her own hate was there too. This was what she wanted, to make Kael'thas respect her at last. Saturna wanted to punished him for his wrongdoings. It was what he deserved.

Kael'thas clearly had different ideas however.

Kael'thas lay naked on the bed, facing her. His head rested easily on an open palm. One leg was bent up and opened skyward, in an arrogant display of everything he had. A black ringbox had been strategically placed on the red sheets right there on purpose. Because the starburst mosaic had been destroyed, he was the only thing in the room that shone gold. Kael'thas knew this, and continued to look up at Saturna through his mane of blonde hair like he owned her.

And perhaps before yesterday... he had.

Saturna gripped her Corrupted Ashbringer tighter in her right hand. She could not let him disarm her, not now.

"I have something for you." Kael'thas teased knowingly.

Saturna trembled, but not because wanted to give into the golden man she'd always dreamed of. Her reforged Demon armor would not let Saturna miss when she got angry… angry enough to do murder.

"And I have something for you as well."

"Would that have anything to do with your going to Illidan in the middle of the night?"

Saturna blinked. "That… it doesn't matter anymore. You're too late."

"I am going to be your husband. I am already the father of your child… and it's none of my concern? More importantly, however, I am your lover. I gave you everything that I had last night, and it seems you still got bored and wanted to go chat with him anyway. Morning came and I portaled in here to find there was a hole in the floor—which I fell through by the way—" Kael'thas squinted an eye, "Had to portal back to Tempest Keep to get myself out of that fix and try again… The point is, Saturna, that I missed you. I really missed you when I was there, if it only was just a day, and I missed you even more when I got home and realized you were off enjoying Illidan's company more than mine. But, I quickly cheered myself up. I remembered that I have one thing that my good friend doesn't and it's silly to be jealous." Kael'thas used a thumb to crack the knuckles on one hand that rested just over his knee. "You."

Saturna laughed at him.

Kael'thas was thrown off. "What's so funny?"

"You want me to melt, don't you? I finally understand why you seduced me so aggressively this entire time, even when you already had me. It's never been about your love for me, Kael'thas, though I don't doubt that you do—only a man in love would be so stupid and go as far as you have. Kael'thas, this is about you feeling insecure. You need to see me fall apart over you. Especially right now, because you feel jilted. You can't help thinking about Jaina and whoever else it's been all your life and wonder if you're really good enough for me too. If I don't get down on my knees and thank the Sun for you right now, beg to be your wife, you're going to feel completely worthless, aren't you? If I reject you now, when our relationship is at its weakest point, you'll give into your self doubt at last and break."

Kael'thas shifted weight uneasily. "It's not that. It's just… you weren't here this morning—"

"And that made you upset. You panicked, didn't you? My armor and sword were gone, the room was a mess... You thought I left you for good, because you knew that you deserved it. And when they announced me just now, you acted quickly, made yourself prostrate before me. That is really what this is, Kael'thas. I own you, don't I?" Saturna lifted her chin. "I see now that I always have."

_Good girl. _Then Illidan started laughing at Kael'thas through their link.

Kael'thas really looked rattled then. Apparently, Illidan was laughing on his side too.

Why was it hard for her to laugh at Kael'thas too? Saturna knew that he couldn't help the way that he was. He'd lost absolutely everyone in his life and before that, he was such an awkward child… Saturna felt herself slipping. She reached through the link and Illidan let her have more of his Demon magic. The hate again welled up in her. She donned a confident smile.

"That is no way to speak to me, Saturna." Kael'thas fumbled. "Not when I love you so much."

Saturna had just realized as much herself, but made herself say, "Oh, but you can practically call me a whore, you can knock me around, you can leave me behind to distract and entertain your friend while you take the time to cover up your dealings with the Burning Legion in Tempest Keep?"

"Now, Saturna, I already apologized for that—"

"It should have never happened in the first place! You know what, Kael'thas, I'm not surprised at this at all, the way you've always treated me. You're terrified that you aren't attractive enough, that you're too damned lost here in Outland for anyone to really love you... I'm just shocked that you didn't go a step further and put the engagement ring on your penis, told me to suck it off if I wanted to win my future with you. You could have resolved all your pathetic insecurities at once!"

_Oh, Starshine, I like you better this way._

Saturna finally smiled. Evidently, Kael'thas didn't think her capable of truly hurting him. He smiled uncomfortably, not realizing that she was laughing at his expense. Saturna wished she hadn't observed that vulnerability in him. What was she doing to him? She was bullying the man that she… once loved.

Kael'thas cleared his throat. "Well… the ring isn't really big enough for that, is it?"

"Ha! Don't flatter yourself."

That's when Kael'thas sat up. "What is wrong with you? You're like night and day with me! Everything was fine yesterday…Wait, are you wearing what I think you are? Did you think that I'd miss it, Saturna? It looks the same, but you're covered head to toe in Illidan's scales... Why!"

_I tire of this. Get his soulstone already and bring him here._

"You asked about the lei line." Saturna lied smoothly with her new ability, "It erupted and my armor was damaged. Illidan had it reforged for me. He was generous, offered up his own Demon scales to mend the plate, and his black blood to forge it. Unless, you're telling me that you don't like the way that I look?"

A Sunfury blacksmith should have done it. Saturna saw Kael'thas struggle with whether or not he was going to ask her why she was getting such special treatment from Illidan.

"Well, I'm just glad that you're alright. And… you're beautiful as always." He said in a small voice and got up. He stood before her. He wanted to kiss her, she could tell. But Kael'thas was afraid. He didn't know if it was welcome or not. For the first time in their relationship, Kael'thas failed to take her aggressively. Saturna saw now that he always seized her so confidently because Kael'thas called on the Demon magic each and every time that he was with her. Kael'thas was still that nervous when it came to women. Could it be possible that deep down, he was the same bookworm she fell in love with? Was he still so fragile and in need of her? Saturna called more anger to banish those thoughts.

"I love you." Kael'thas winced. "I don't know what I need to do to fix this but… I just need you. I'm so sorry. I would do anything. I'm desperate… I'll admit at last that I'm desperate. Please, Saturna. You've showed me such kindness before. I didn't realize it before I met you. I was missing that in my life."

"And if I never show you kindness again, you will be lost, won't you?" she wrapped arms around his neck. "I could hurt you so badly that you would never again want for anything good or whole in life. Then you _would_ go to the Burning Legion."

Kael'thas didn't like hearing this. Saturna found that she also enjoying torturing him less and less.

"But if I adored you, if I spoiled you rotten with love…" Saturna didn't want to finish this observation either. Where would that sort of future leave her? Between these two horrible men…

Awkwardly, Kael'thas kissed her. He was too careful, timid. The first kiss he ever gave her without the Demon magic. After all this time, how could they still have firsts? Was it because he was so upset that he forgot to use the power? Saturna ached for him, she couldn't fight the compassion she felt for the father of her lost son anymore. She wanted to love him and tell him the news, let him mourn with her as much as she wanted to hate Kael'thas and attack him for causing the tragedy. Crying, Saturna hugged Kael'thas back and welcomed him into her mouth. If she could protect him in this one way... she still wanted to protect him. It wasn't fair. Trying not to love Kael'thas hurt even more than hating him. She encouraged his kiss gently, let him know how much she cared for him so that he would feel safe enough to indulge. And then he did. Kael'thas inhaled gratefully and savored her lips. He slipped his tongue over hers when she let him in. He was asking and she was giving permission. For once, he was conscious of her feelings. He respected them because he did not have the Demon magic to cloud his consciousness…

Saturna pulled back. Suddenly, she understood why Kael'thas had done it, why he'd done everything.

She said, "You wear my armor… every day. Every single day of your life, for the last two years, you've been trapped inside of Illidan's overwhelming hate."

Kael'thas had been smiling. He wasn't now. "I can't ever come out, like I did just now. It hurts too much."

Saturna blinked back tears. And she was afraid to abandon Illidan's influence as well. Her true life was so painful. What would she be without it? A victim of rape, a mother in mourning. A woman who really wanted to kill the father of her lost child, rather than tell him what he did to her.

Saturna bowed her head. "But Kael'thas... it was alright. You were finally honest with me."

Kael'thas turned away, disgusted with his show of weakness before her. Saturna saw that he wanted to be a strong man for her as much as she had wanted to be a good mother for their son. And she knew what that kind of failure felt like.

When Saturna feared he would panic, lose himself to the sorrow clear on his face, Kael'thas went to the bed and got the ring box. Before her eyes, he called on Illidan's Demon magic again. She knew the look of that fast high because she could now do it herself.

Fierce again, Kael'thas just put the ring on Saturna's finger without asking.

"No speech?" Saturna resented it.

"I'd just ruin my chances even more than I already have." Kael'thas grunted.

Saturna flushed with anger. She wanted to take the damned thing back off and throw it in his face.

_Are you falling for him again? You tread on thin ice, woman-pet. _Why would Illidan even think that of her? She had just decided on the exact opposite. Hadn't he been reading her thoughts this entire time, like he did with Kael'thas?

"Kael'thas…" Saturna sighed with frustration and shook her head at him. But what could she say? She had to accept the ring because of Illidan. And how had she even found the strength to complain? Did that mean she wanted Kael'thas to propose to her, to do it properly? Saturna was very uncomfortable with this idea, that she could still love the man who was responsible for the death of her baby boy. Why, after everything, was she still drawn to loving him!

Saturna looked at the ring. A lone white fleck within the black diamond brightened until it shone like a star. Saturna raised her eyebrows. "Kael'thas, how did you get it to do that?" she gasped.

"Only when _you_ wear that ring, will it shine like that. My astromancers and jewelcrafters worked themselves near to death on it over the last twenty-four hours, putting a real star inside of a stone. Why? Well… because you are my Starshine. When we talked about it last night, I realized that you don't really understand why I call you that. I'm no poet, and getting someone else to put it into words is just pathetic you know? Worse than using your friend's Demon magic to give you an edge with a woman," he admitted then, and looked angry at himself. "So, I used my own magic. That I can understand. I'd been kicking this theory around for a while... You should have seen them, my astromancers and jewelcrafters were excited about it the experiment at first. But then they wanted to kill me when I told them they had less than twenty four hours to fit the energy of a star within a small stone, turn it into a portable source of arcane magic."

Saturna looked at the ring and began to feel guilty. She desired more Demon magic to cover that but… it made her sick to think of wanting more now. Taking hate and Demon magic from Illidan truly was an addiction.

"Saturna, I need you to look into that stone, and wonder forever at how special you are. Therefore, I will never tell you exactly how it was done. Please enjoy the mystery, as I do. It's as close as I can come to… incarnating what I feel for you. Just… relief," he smiled in spite of himself. "At having found you. And wonder… awe that you find me worthy."

"I… don't know what to say?"

_You try my patience._

"Then forget words. That's what I did, Saturna, when I couldn't think of a good way to propose to you." Kael'thas hugged her. He was still at a loss for words now. "I just want to make love to you. That is how we always made up, remember how we used to? At the end of the day? Let's not apologize to each other again, make promises we can't keep. I just want you back. Please, I'm begging you… let me have you back?"

Saturna bristled. The thought of sleeping with any man, ever again, made her feel sick. And she did not want to do it with Kael'thas, who'd hurt her too much. Especially not in that bed or this hateful room, not after everything…

_You have no choice, Saturna. If my brother wants to play house with you now that you're newly engaged, if that is what it takes to distract him and ask for that soulstone, you are going to do it! You are going to be the best whore for Kael'thas that you have ever been. And don't tell me that you can't do it… I forced you to be with me, and now, slave, I am forcing you to be with him. I want that soulstone!_

They got in the bed together. Kael'thas undressed her. Saturna tried to look anywhere but at him. The more submissive she appeared, the more confident Kael'thas became.

"We're going to be fine, you see?" he said, but wasn't sure.

"Get off of me…" Saturna whispered.

Kael'thas didn't hear her. He kept going. The sex made Saturna panic. It made her see Illidan. Kael'thas' breath was his breath on her shoulder. His trimmed nails like Illidan's black claws on her wrists… Hours ago, Illidan made Saturna heal herself after he raped her, to hide the evidence of the gruesome violation. But Saturna felt she could see the wounds opening again on her skin…

"I said GET OFF!" she punched Kael'thas in the face.

He sat up and stopped immediately, touched a finger to the blood at the corner of his mouth. Saturna's pulse raced. Hurting Kael'thas, attacking him… it felt good. Acting on her hate for him… the Demon magic deep within her surged. She could no longer hide that she wanted to hurt him.

Kael'thas took it the wrong way, and smiled devlishly. "It can be rough… if you really want it to be, Starshine."

Kael'thas raised her arms overhead, pressed them into the pillows. He used his Demon strength to get them in one hand... He nicked her with his teeth when he kissed her. No, it was happening all over again... Saturna let herself get angry. She didn't want sex with him, she didn't want to be with any man ever again after what Illidan did to her, and now Kael'thas was doing it too… Saturna screamed at him and hit him harder, but Kael'thas enjoyed it, flashed that sick smile... At last Saturna jammed her knee hard between his legs.

At last, Kael'thas realized that his Saturna truly hated him. While he cringed and grabbed himself, she crawled hastily out of the bed.

"You deserve worse!" she yelled at Kael'thas in a panic, and raced for the doors.

"Illidan, shut the HELL UP!" Kael'thas gasped for air, then finished, "Sometimes, I fucking _hate_ him. It's not funny, you thousands-of-years-old impotent, demon-fucking sonofa—Where do you think you're going, Saturna?!"

Furious, Kael'thas raced after her and nearly slipped on the tiled floor. He spun around and grabbed her. Saturna fought him but he pinned her arms across her chest, lifted Saturna up off her feet.

"I hate you!" she cried. "Let me go, I don't want to be with you anymore, let me go. Take your ring back, I don't want it."

Kael'thas fell backward onto the bed with her so that he could brace her fall. Saturna really started fighting him when she realized why Kael'thas was being so careful, hurting himself to protect the baby. The child he ended.

"Why do I have to use my Demon strength to hold _you_ down? You're not wearing the armor anymore!" Then he whispered harshly into Saturna's ear. "Where is my sweet, adorable fangirl… where is she, Saturna? What happened to us after last night…"

Saturna laughed like a madwoman. "Oh, I'm still your fangirl, aren't I? That's exactly why I was fool enough to come back here and be close to you, even if it was just to hurt you, rather than take the chance and run away. I'm such a fool! No, I haven't changed at all, have I? We can't escape who we are, it doesn't matter what happens…"

He softened. "Take what chance? Did someone threaten you? Saturna, you have to tell me what is going on. I want to help you, but everything I do is just making it worse. I'm not a mindreader. Please, love, what is it? I'm begging you to give me one last chance, to get this right."

"Our son… you killed him!"

Kael'thas froze. Saturna exhausted herself with lashing out, gave in to crying at last.

"No…"

"Yes! Yes you did. It's all your fault. Why weren't you here for me, I told you to protect me—"

_Go ahead and tell him what I did to you. Tell him that you knew I was a full Demon already, that I confessed it to you and you said nothing. Tell him that you let me kiss you, many times, and then that I had you in his bed. Would you like to know what he will think of you then, you whore? Do you want to see what he is like when he gives into his rage? You've never seen it, but I have. I made him Saturna. Or worse, and I can feel in your heart, that you know this to be true… you will tell Kael'thas that I raped you and he will do nothing, for fear of me._

Saturna clawed her hands into Kael'thas' arms and begged for him to let her go, to end what they had, because she couldn't take it anymore. Warm tears trickled over her shoulder. They weren't hers.

_What? Lost your confidence all of a sudden? You are afraid of me too, Saturna. That is why you are incapable of telling him. You know that Kael'thas would deny that I raped you, did something meriting him standing up to me once and for all. He'd rather blame you for it first. He is cruel and selfish. That is his way. Nor would he stand with you against me. He knows that I am stronger than him and that there would be no hope of winning. He would not be foolish enough to take that chance. No, knowing your true pain will not convince him, will it? Not when his people, not his son, not his beloved Saturna have all already failed to convince him._

"I want to die…" Saturna wailed into the sheets. "Please, just kill me."

"No, Starshine don't say that. Never say that. If not for me… if you truly don't want me, then at least for our son."

Saturna's breathing began to steady. "What did you say?"

"I don't know what horrible person started that rumor while I was gone… maybe the explosion of the lei line injured you, and people started to talk? And you don't have a physician capable of confirming it for you. But I can use the gift of my family line… our son is alive, and safe. Is that what was upsetting you?"

"But… that's impossible. Not after how… how can that be? Is he well, Kael'thas? Is he whole?"

He nodded against her shoulder. "He's perfect as always. I am so sorry that I put you through so much pain. But even if… it would have been an accident, something that was not your fault. It would have been out of everyone's hands. Damn that Lady Vashj and her rumor mill! How could anyone encourage you to believe that I did it, on purpose? By the Sun, I love you, _and_ our son… I'd kill myself first."

"Don't say that."

_You stupid little bitch. Now you want him to live, do you?_

Saturna made a fist. She sent back through the link, and Illidan was surprised to sense her doing it when she wasn't supposed to be strong enough, _Is that why you wanted me to kill myself this morning Illidan? Is that why you wanted to 'break me again?' Because you realized my son was still alive and that Kael'thas would tell me the truth? You know all along, and you wanted me to believe that it was all Kael'thas' fault! Then, after I committed suicide, my son really would be dead and you could resurrect me, remake me however you wanted and then I'd have no hope at all! Before you sought to use my love against me, and now my hate? All to guilt me into killing my child's father!_

_I will destroy you, as punishment. I will even get him to help me do it. Is that what you want? Don't doubt that I can, just for you to die in the worst possible way, Saturna Whiteblade. This is your one last chance. Listen to reason, punish him for me!_

"Shh…" Kael'thas was trying to calm Saturna down. He didn't know how she'd changed. He didn't understand that her fury was at Illidan, not at their situation.

Kael'thas said, "You know what, I set this all in motion. I made you feel insecure about my wanting to be a father. Let's end that right now. We're long overdue for some parenting, aren't we? We never stopped to just enjoy it. Here, let's talk about more pleasant things like… well, what do you think he'll grow up to be? We could train him as a Bloodknight. Wouldn't you like that?"

Saturna covered her eyes. There was no hoping for the future, it didn't matter that Ilidan had lied to her about their son. Illidan had put her in an impossible situation because he was stronger than both of them. She was going to die, whether she killed Kael'thas, or he convinced Kael'thas to kill her in time. He'd already convinced Kael'thas to abuse his hate and Demon magic. It would only be a matter of time. In both cases, their son would perish.

Illidan was absolutely right when he said that Kael'thas would never stand with her against him, even if Illidan was twisting the truth as he had before. Saturna had seen it for herself. Kael'thas folded when he was finally forced to tell Illidan about their baby. And before she arrived at the Black Temple, he had accepted Illidan's Soul Link, his powers… Why had she not seen it before? The revelation shook Saturna to the core: Kael'thas, her Prince, was weak. Not just before women, but in every aspect of his life. He was smart enough to surround himself with powerful people, to change his personality so that his enemies could not see it right away. But deep down Kael'thas was desperate, still broken hearted and after losing his father, his friendships in the Alliance, and Quel'thalas. Illidan had known this all along, because he and Kael'thas were—whether Saturna liked it or understood it or not—friends. Illidan knew Kael'thas inside and out. Saturna now knew Kael'thas in the same way too. He still needed her, still needed the protection of a Bloodknight.

Saturna found her way back to the conversation, for his sake. "Yes, we could train our son to be a Bloodknight, if you wish."

Kael'thas nodded against her shoulder. Somehow, that idea comforted him. "He would be strong then, like his mother. No one would ever be able to stand against him, to tell him what to think or believe…"

Saturna drifted back to her important thoughts. Panicky Kael'thas hugged one arm and she rubbed her temple with her other hand as she thought.

Illidan had left her with only one way out, and that was to do as he said. Saturna could not bear to think of going against Illidan's will, and it wasn't just because of their link. She would not be able to survive that way, being torn between two men who needed desperately to love her or hate her. Both fully capable of manipulating her to one side or the other, making love to her and raping her together, both lying and telling the truth… it made Saturna's head ache, just thinking about how Kael'thas and Illidan could rip her apart, if she let them both have their way. Today, they nearly had. However, killing Kael'thas was not an option either, and learning what Illidan did to her could destroy Kael'thas as surely as would physically killing him with the Corrupted Ashbringer.

Saturna realized that she did share something with Illidan afterall. Clearly, Kael'thas also loved her desperately. If he ever found out that she betrayed him, even considered murdering him for Illidan who was still his best friend in this twisted Demon-warlock relationship, Kael'thas could completely give up on himself. Months ago in Nagrand, Kael'thas admitted to Saturna that he believed she was his last chance at finding love, at ever being happy. It wasn't just about romance, it was about having people in his life that he could trust, that loved him like family. If Kael'thas failed at this, he might stop fighting for those good relationships, stop trying to be a loving person who deserved them. Kael'thas would be crushed, would never dare trust anyone else ever again and give in to Illidan and his numbing Demon magic or the Burning Legion and their empty promises. Kael'thas would allow these terrible elements to have full sway over his life so that at the least, even if it was painful, he would live. All along, he'd just been trying to keep his head above the water, to survive.

Saturna decided that she had to find a way out of this. Killing herself, killing him were not the answers. Illidan had left her no choice though. Somehow, she would have to kill Kael'thas as well as save him, and then also save herself and their son… But all that was just impossible.

"…you could teach him your White Blade spell, Saturna." Kael'thas had resorted to filling in her anxious silence, "After everything I've been through, honestly, I don't think I want to encourage my son to become a warlock."

She turned and kissed Kael'thas' bare arm. "I…" she tried to feel the joy with him, while she worried about their future. Now she understood just how much he needed her strength and love. "Well, I could never pass it onto anyone."

"Are you sure? I mean… you're his mother. I'm no Bloodknight, but what's stopping you from just giving it to him? I mean, that's what the White Blade spell is anyway, right? Your manifested intent. And you two share blood. He _is_ a part of you, flesh and soul, magic…"

"I… I never thought about it that way. I guess I could do it." She comforted him though it was hard to focus on something so technical right now.

The more Saturna thought through it, the more the truth became painfully obvious. Illidan had forced this situation before she or Kael'thas could, by moving out of his realm of influence, to Tempest Keep or Silvermoon. Now, no matter where they went, they would be stuck. Illidan had raped her and bonded himself to her. That was his insurance when he couldn't convince her to do it yesterday. There was just no she and Kael'thas could be together, because of Illidan. If one of them was to live free, someone was going to have to die...

"Starshine, are you alright? You've been so quiet."

Saturna gasped. "I've been thinking only of myself this entire time!"

"No, don't say that. You are the most kind, loving person I know."

"But I'm not perfect, Kael'thas. Neither are you. And that was never right, was it, for me to swear my loyalty to a person who isn't perfect. It wasn't fair for me, and clearly it wasn't fair to you. The pressure you've had to live with all your life! No wonder you did not want to take the throne."

He just held her tighter.

Kael'thas had been the sun in her sky, indeed. And to live your life so close to the sun… it was blinding.

"A fangirl… she fixates on a man as if he were a god. But that only hurts this person she loves, and it hurts her too, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't know…"

"A woman, a real woman, and real love isn't so selfish. It knows when to hold back, doesn't it? Illidan was right. I have the mind of a child, but have been living in the body of a woman. No wonder you didn't take me seriously, or my men, and he didn't either, all this time… I even doubted my own strength. I need to start thinking about what needs to be done, not scheming a way to be with you. That will only hurt you in the end, won't it Kael'thas?"

"I'd kill for you, I don't care. You're not leaving me."

Saturna turned over and looked at him.

Kael'thas sighed. "Fine, alright, I know how that sounds. But you're scaring me. What is this problem you need to solve? Can't I help you?"

Saturna furrowed her brow in thought. "There must be a way…" All this time she had been fighting to keep her Bloodknight's oath, but her relationship with Kael'thas had clouded that goal, as her men correctly saw. No matter what, Kael'thas had to live, and he needed to be free from manipulation, whether it was by Illidan, or the Burning Legion. But that wasn't merely a matter of his physical location, living in either Tempest Keep or the Black Temple, or even Silvermoon City. What was stopping Kael'thas from returning to Silvermoon for the wrong reasons? If he went home and still kept those dangerous loyalties, he could hurt everyone. No, Kael'thas had a lesson to learn, or at least a good reason to never put faith in such monstrous people again. Not only must he live. He had to know, absolutely, that he was loved.

_What are you thinking?_

Saturna said back, _So you can't tell what I'm thinking, can you Illidan? But our link is very similar to the one you have with Kael'thas and you know what he wants all the time. _Saturna realized, _It's because you never took the time to get to know me, isn't it? Since I got here, you've been plotting against me. You have access to my heart but you don't value it, not like Kael'thas does. It's like lashing about in a dark room for you. Illidan… could it be that you were wrong? Hate is not a more powerful magic than love. Had you cared about me at all, even in the slightest…you would not be lost right now._

That one oversight... it was a blessing. Illidan had not heard her plan, and she only just now realized what had to be done, and that she was the only one who could do it. She could do it well.

"…We _could _name him Anasterian. But… that carries a lot of weight, doesn't it? I mean, we should give our son at least a _fighting _chance, what with my bad personality and your obsessions—"

"Our son must be named Belorim." Saturna announced.

Kael'thas looked at her. "What? Name him for the Light? But why… you know that's not a very good name for a Bloodknight, or anyone who wields Light magic really. His spells will get all confused. You know, invoking the very name of that school of magic while he casts something could maybe turn him or his friends into—"

Saturna put a hand over Kael'thas' mouth. "You think I don't know that? Please… I need this. Just trust me." Then she narrowed her eyes at him. "If you love me, you will do this for me."

"You're manipulating my feelings for you. I warned you about that Saturna."

"I _am_ going to use you, Kael'thas Sunstrider! You're not going to like it, it's not going to feel fair, but dammit, Kael'thas! You owe me! Am I wrong? Go ahead and dare tell me that I'm wrong, after everything you did to me… I'll fix you so fast you—"

Kael'thas winced. "Okay… Belorim it is. Our son, Belorim. Well, it's impossible for him to be a villain like his old dad, now, isn't it?"

"That's not funny, Kael'thas."

"Sorry."

_You have failed me, Saturna Whiteblade._

_No, Illidan. I have finally accepted that there is no way out of doing your will. I am going to die and Kael'thas will too. Maybe I even want this…if we leave this life together, then I can be with him at last. There can be peace for both our souls. I don't want to live, Illidan. You have broken me utterly and completely._

_Good._

Saturna made herself come to grips with that grim reality. Whether she wanted to or not, she was going to die. There was no way that Illidan would allow her to live. Illidan could care less about her, he hated her because she divided Kael'thas' attention. It was Kael'thas Illidan loved, and only him. Therefore, there was no pleasing the Demon Lord, no winning him over with her guile, or even outsmarting him when he allowed himself no reason to trust her in the first place. But for her love of Kael'thas, Saturna had tried to see, to get to know Illidan. She was able to predict him... and in seeing Illidan for what he truly was at last, she knew absolutely, that he would not give her an inch.

Yes, there was a chance that she might still survive. There was a very good chance if things went exactly the way that Saturna planned. And, once Kael'thas and the baby were safe, she would try to live, for them. But Saturna knew she couldn't depend on that. She could not make her life a priority in this situation. If it ever came to that, she would have to 'die for her country'… Nathaniel Blaize had said that to her, hadn't he? But Saturna knew he didn't mean that exactly, for her to merely pick the way she was going to die. It was a basic military concept that many officers were aware of. Lady Liadrin had shared it with all of her Nexites as well: take control of desperate situations, make them your own. Always fight from a position of strength. And, if you must die, give your life in the most impactful way. Bloodknights, especially, were called to die from a position of strength.

Thinking like a fangirl now, worrying whether or not Kael'thas would appreciate her help, or even like her afterward was childish and irrelevant when so much more was at stake. Those thoughts would only hobble her careful efforts. It could cost her son's life, and the life of her Prince.

Kael'thas reached over and kissed Saturna's hand. "Are we finally made up then? I've learned my lesson. I will never, ever leave you alone and hurt you like that again."

Saturna knew that Kael'thas was trying, but this time was like all those others. Kael'thas had not seen fit to change his ways. Without her intervention, Kael'thas would one day fail himself and his people in the worst way possible. The last Sunstrider, the man she loved would fall because he would not have a way to escape his pain. And then the sun would never rise again for Quel'thalas.

Kael'thas' celebrity and her obsession had shrouded the truth from Saturna at the start. Even Illidan was able to see what to do in this desperate situation, when he no doubt cared about his friend, even in his twisted way. Convincing Kael'thas hadn't worked. Saturna was going to have to force him. She was a Bloodknight afterall, not a paladin. How many times had Lady Liadrin warned them not to think like mere servants of the Light? Salvation was not offered, timidly, by a mere girl who immediately took it back and said, 'but I won't risk your life to save your soul, if you really don't want me to Kael'thas. I want us to be friends forever...'

A grown woman, a mother, a Nexite and a Bloodknight would say, and Saturna did:

"I am going to kill for you, Kael'thas Sunstrider. I am going to drag you kicking and screaming to the end that you deserve, whether you want to be saved or not. I will do this because I have sworn to love you, as a Bloodknight, and as a wife… my love for you is eternal, Kael'thas. Never forget that."

Kael'thas went pale. He had no idea what to say to this.

_Did you mean that? _ Illidan asked.

_Yes, my Master. I will kill Kael'thas, as you bade me. All this time, I have been struggling with the how... I have chosen to love him instead of hate him, because that is easier for me. But the deed will be done regardless. Will that please you Lord Illidan?_

_Perhaps…_

"Kael'thas, I need your soulstone too."

"Huh? But why?"

Saturna closed her eyes. She reached through the link with Illidan and called on his Demon magic. She felt him give in, loosen it for her. The magic came crashing through her, it overwhelmed her mind, threatened to stifle her careful plan. Saturna needed something else to control it, something stronger.

Love.

Saturna Whiteblade looked down on Kael'thas. It was the sort of look that could undo any man. Thus, he was undone.

"I want to see… if your soul is darker than the ring you gave me. Perhaps that his how you did it, trapping a star within the infinity of life itself? I doubt that's really a black diamond set in the eternium band. From what I remember from my studies," she tapped her chin, "only something like that could do it. Life surpasses all schools of magic, doesn't it Kael'thas? And, this is what you wanted, for me try and guess how my ring works? To enjoy the mystery of my love for you?"

She waited while Kael'thas conjured it. Then he shrugged and handed it to her.

Saturna knew that it was going to be the biggest mistake of his life. A hasty decision she was forcing him to make.

"Thank you, sunshine. I think I'll hold onto this and play with it later. Now, Illidan wants to see us. Are you ready?"

"Couldn't we just sleep in—"

"Absolutely not. He's going to explain to you about his transformation." Then she forced herself to add at the end, "That is what we were discussing last night and this morning. Or, did you forget that yesterday was his transformation date?"

"But… Why would Illidan tell you about that and not me?"

"Your old friend finally confided in me, Kael'thas. Isn't that wonderful? It's what you always wanted. Now, get up and get dressed, before the mother of your child—your fiancée—gets cross with you."

Kael'thas was overjoyed to be in her good graces again. He did exactly she told him.

_Excellent performance, woman-pet. Good girl._

_Oh, but Illidan, you've misjudged me. It's ironic really, since you were the one who took my innocence in the first place. I am not a girl anymore…_


	27. Legacy of the Whiteblade, Part II

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Legacy of the White Blade, Part II**

**The Sun must set in order to rise**

"You go on ahead Kael'thas, there is someone I need to speak with first." Saturna and Kael'thas, now dressed, walked out into the hallway.

_What? You are to come directly to me!_

"Oh, but I so wanted to escort _my fiancée _to tell my good friend Illidan the news." Kael'thas said loudly enough for the Sunfury Guards just outside the Golden Shrine. The four men congratulated him and clapped him on the back.

Kael'thas was elated the entire time he urged Saturna to show them her ring, bragged about how he proposed with no words at all when the men asked how it went. Then Kael'thas got really carried away and said that they would need another ball to announce the wedding, and then maybe one after the wedding. And! He'd almost forgotten, he was having a son. Belorim was the boy's name.

A boy! They eagerly shook his hand, politely kissed Saturna on both cheeks. Kael'thas then got unreasonably jealous and dipped Saturna into a showy kiss of his own.

_He's such a damned shameless braggart._

"Illidan's jealous, Saturna. I can feel it." He smiled triumphantly.

Saturna wasn't sure how to respond to this, so she walked Kael'thas away a few paces and just hugged him. "Have you got your head on straight now? Can I go and speak with Fennore?"

"Fennore! Oh, I see… Well, I'm just sorry I won't be there to laugh in their faces. I'll see you soon, then?"

This was her opening to leave. Saturna did not want to let Kael'thas go. Everything would be different, after this.

"You're so warm." She nestled into his shoulder.

"Like sunshine? No, I didn't miss your new little name for me. I've always wanted one. I can't tell you how nice it is, to finally have a woman call me something other than 'Kael'thas, set me on fire one more time and I'll...' Well, I was about to tell you another Dalaran story, but I'll not bring up she-who-shall-not-be-mentioned. I'd like to keep you cherishing me, thank you very much."

"Mmm, I'm glad for you too, Kael'thas. But I was thinking more… warm like a husband. And like… a father. Do you know what I mean?"

Kael'thas hugged her tight and rocked her in his arms. "Like family? Yes, I still remember that feeling after all these years. And we are going to be that way soon."

She took a deep breath, instead of crying. "We'll be fine, you'll see. Just… please trust me from now on. And be good, for once!"

Kael'thas laughed at her mischievously, savored another long kiss, then set her loose.

"Time to go make Illidan suffer for ever doubting us, Starshine. Tell the boys I said 'in your face.'"

"Hello is just as good, Kael'thas."

But he was busy walking in the other direction down the Main Causeway. And, he was singing to himself in his bad voice once more.

_What makes you think you can just go off on your own?_

_Illidan, I think I can get Fennore and the others to help you with the inevitable aftermath, when people begin to talk about Kael'thas.__You want to spin his death correctly, don't you?_

_Yes, I suppose… the loyalty of your Bloodknights would be displaced, without Kael'thas and I will need to control them somehow. At the least, I find your healer useful and I'd like to keep him on... But what are you getting at?_

_I want to ensure that they are with you, before Kael'thas dies and they get confused. And, once they swear loyalty to you Illidan, not just to one of your factions, they could even help with monitoring the gossip._

_I have Lady Vashj and her rumor mill in my pocket. I don't need the help of your Bloodknights for that. Why are you so pliable all of a sudden? I know that you have a plan, Saturna._

_Can I really have some ulterior motive, when you're capable of hearing everything that I say, when you know how I feel? Illidan, I know that I can't really hide anything from you. Nor do I wish to... I don't want to think of anything else except for getting this done. The moment I stop and think about my life it's just too painful. If I can't live well, I want to at least die well. Die with dignity._

_Death? No, I think you are concerned with life. You are trying to manipulate me into saving your friends after you are gone. Saturna, you pointed out that I don't have true access to your thoughts. Therefore, you must have thought of something that you can use against me. I warn you that I can make your death intolerable if you even dare try and betray me. It is impossible for you to outsmart me, Saturna Whiteblade. Everything will go according to what I say. Also, do you think I missed that you seemed overly happy about being engaged to Kael'thas? Just a little while ago, you were repulsed by the idea. _

_It's very easy to manipulate Kael'thas now. I was merely enjoying myself, flexing my new wings._

_You still love him._

_And I'm still going to kill him, as I explained. You know that I'm not lying to you, either._

_I'll be watching you. _Illidan withdrew then. Kael'thas had arrived in the Blackened Shrine.

After a few moments Illidan came right back. _Oh, come on! He's telling me that you hopped all over him when he told you the news. Really, he doesn't give me enough credit. You see how he lies about everything, assumes that I'm not strong or clever enough to look through the Soul Link whenever I want? Sometimes, he's so arrogant, I get so sick of him—_

Saturna hid her little smile. _Kael'thas is in love Illidan and he wants the world to know it. Don't you remember the feeling? It must have been forever since a woman has really, actually, loved you… for who you are, and what you look like._

_Go ahead and try my patience, woman-pet. I will crush you. You are going to play my game and you are going to lose. Now you want to push your luck even further, by insulting me? Don't make me laugh, Saturna Whiteblade._

Then, Illidan shut her out.

Saturna stood before the guys' door and took a deep breath. What she was about to do was not right and it was not fair, but it was the only way. Saturna couldn't tell them any of her plan, but she would force them to be a part of it, just like with Kael'thas.

Fennore snatched the door open and stepped out into the hallway before Saturna could knock. He took her by the arm, and ushered her back into the dark corridor. Fennore didn't have to close the door back, someone pushed it to from inside. Then, after a silence, they spitefully locked it.

Fennore waved a hand at the door, frustrated then smiled uneasily at Saturna. "You don't have to knock on our door anymore, we can tell when it's you."

It was a sweet thing to say. Saturna squeezed the hand he put on her shoulder. "Thank you. But, I see that you are the only one who came to my pity party this time."

Fennore got serious. "Forget about them. I want to know about you. Blaize told me you were up on the roof today? What's happened, Saturna!"

Saturna fidgeted. "That's not important anymore."

"You tried to take your own life and it's not important? Does Kael'thas know?"

Saturna reached through the link, called on Illidan's Demon magic to hide her fear. She looked up at Fennore with cold, uncaring eyes.

Fennore grimly observed, "I see… so Kael'thas _is_ the cause of it. And we just thought Blaize was being an asshat again. And it also seems like you don't want Kael'thas to know you were up there."

"He wouldn't care anyway. Just like Pyorin and Sunthraze don't care."

Fennore couldn't explain the cold behavior of their friends, so he didn't try to. "Move back in nextdoor Saturna. I'll stay in there with you if you want. So… if Kael'thas comes over, it'll take him longer than normal to kill your bodyguard and you'll at least have time to run. I can just heal myself through most of it, you see. You're better off with just me anyways, aren't you Saturna? The 'smartmouth' and the 'lone ranger'—that's what Kael'thas called them, wasn't it?—they're too much trouble."

Saturna laughed. It was because Fennore had always been the one she was most uncomfortable around, with his Demon fetish. And now… staying alone in a room with him did seem like a safe thing to do. He was a very good healer, and clearly a true friend.

"Fennore, you're such a sweetheart to offer. I'm glad that I finally see that. I would have… I'm glad I won't be walking away from your door, thinking the wrong thing about you."

"So, is it a date?"

Saturna removed his hand. "No. I'm in control of the situation, so don't worry."

How many other people was she going to lie to and tell them there was nothing to worry about? How many other people was she going to protect when she wished for everything that someone could shield her from the terrible truth and fight her battles behind the scenes? Why was she going this far, all on her own?

"I grew up, I guess... and when you're all grown up, you have to take care of other people for once." Saturna answered her own question quietly and then looked around to make sure they were alone. "Fennore. I came here to give you your Rite of Initiation."

_Ah, I see. The oh so secret Blood Nexus. Is this what you're going to use behind my back, woman-pet?_

Saturna stopped what she was doing, focused her attention within. _Illidan, you knew? Yes, of course you knew. You've heard all of the conversations Kael'thas and I ever had._

_And just like him, I wisely realized that your friends and their secret mission,_and Illidan actually laughed at them all, ..._aren't a threat. You've done nothing but sit and do nothing for fear of your Prince, for fear of me. Go ahead, play with them all you want little girl. It will make no difference. You will kill Kael'thas for me Saturna, and then you are going to die._

Saturna again turned her attention back to Fennore, who was in the middle of saying, "I… Well, after we all had our falling out over the baby, I'd given up hope that you'd ever speak to me or any of the others again. And I had so been looking forward to proving myself. Over the last few weeks, I've seen first hand that the path of a Nexite is a difficult one. But still… I could make a great difference in people's lives. I could change the course of our country's history, heal a lot of the pain after Arthas… yes, I want to do it. I need to, Saturna. All my life, I've had to stand in the back and just watch the others do the fighting, but I'm better than that. Whatever it is, Mother Whiteblade, tell me and I'll do it."

Saturna had been counting on this. She exhaled, a little relieved.

"Lord Illidan is going to change things around here." She began. It got more difficult to tell the lie with every breath. Saturna called on more and more of Illidan's Demon magic until finally, she must have looked angry with Fennore, instead of the situation she was in. "No matter what, our duty is to our Prince, isn't it?"

"You mean our country…"

"They are the same!"

Fennore watched Saturna uneasily. She could see the fear in his eyes, the consideration that maybe Sunthraze and Pyorin were right not to answer the door, because Saturna had become obsessed with Kael'thas, both of them a lost cause.

She pressed forward, "Illidan is going to become stronger. That is going to frighten a lot of people. But it can't frighten you all… us. Things are going to change but we need to remain loyal to Kael'thas and his alliances out here no matter what. That is the only way you will continue be free, _to live_, Fennore… if you pledge your loyalty to Lord Illidan."

"But… we are Bloodknights, _and_ Nexites. We are sworn to Prince and Country, not to the Demon Lord of Outland."

Saturna smirked, pride dripped into her words, from her master. "Kael'thas, his will, lies with Illidan Stormrage. Furthermore, Lord Illidan is perfect. And now, in the end-times, the prophecy done, our Master might as well be god."

Fennore took a step away from the oddly grinning Saturna. She sounded, and looked possessed. Tragedy of tragedies, Fennore could never know just how accurate that observation was. He gasped, "You've gone mad."

"Thus is your trial." came her sick, lustful smile. "I can only give it once. I can never give it again. You must choose to humble yourself and prove to the other Nexites that you would put the cause of Quel'thalas before even your own mastery of the Light. Very soon, you may be asked to do something that is repulsive to you, that doesn't seem fair. I need you to do that, no matter what you see in the room—whatever it is—just do it for the Nexus. Pledging your loyalty to Illidan first... will make that horrid task easier."

"This doesn't make any sense!"

"That's because I'm cheating for you Brother Immortal. The rules only say that the head Nexite can give the Rite of Initiation. They do not say that the trial has to be fair, or given of a sound mind. And that's what you're thinking, isn't it? That I've gone crazy. But I'm not, I'm just desperate, Fennore. I want you to become one of us very badly, and to remain–alive–by Illidan's side with your brothers for as long as possible. I already told you far too much about your test than I should have. I've given you everything that you need to pass." Next, she said carefully, "And you know who you are, what your strength is... you _must_ know already what it is I am asking you to do. You are the only one who can do it."

"Saturna... I'm so very worried about you. I don't like the sound of this at all."

"Well it's too late for that." she looked down her nose at him. "I am the Mother Whiteblade. Pyorin has done nothing to claim my place and so this singular offer to join us is real, however grim it sounds. And as we explained to you, either you do as I say or you don't, it's your choice to join." she crossed her arms. "But you're a good person, Fennore. I know that you want to do the right thing, not like your brothers."

"Somehow you're lying to me Saturna. I was there at Sunthraze's initiation, he never had this much help. You want me to pass, no matter what, because the stakes must be terribly high... people are going to die if I fail, aren't they?"

Saturna needed even more of the Demon magic to say calmly, "It's no one in particular, really. Just a few ignorant chuckleheads that I once fancied myself related to."

_I see what you're doing. _Illidan observed. No he didn't. Saturna wanted to laugh at him. If he did know, she'd be dead right now.

"Why are you doing this Saturna? Why can't you just tell me what is going on? Come back into the room with me, and the three of us will talk about this, like always."

Saturna stopped just before she got out into the Main Causeway. Morning light filtered in through the ruined ceiling many stories above that tattered red and gold carpet.

"One last thing... and maybe this is the most important, Fennore. When_you_ die, what does it feel like?"

Fennore wondered at her question, but then he realized exactly what she was asking. "It feels like I'm going to fail... but then I don't. That is because I refuse to let that hollowness consume me. I fill it up. Do you understand?"

Saturna left. "Thank you. I do now... Goodbye Fennore the Immortal."

Fennore was afraid to acknowledge that farewell from Saturna. Somehow, he was certain that she really meant it. And this made Fennore feel especially terrible for Sunthraze and Pyorin… Though he could never prove it to them, as angry as they were with Saturna, he just knew that they'd given away their precious chance.

_Moments later..._

Kael'thas smiled at Saturna when she arrived at the Blackened Shrine, opened his arms to receive her.

Illidan sat on his throne in the dark shadows just beyond the crude stone meeting table. Saturna did not see, but knew that her master also smiled when she was once again in his presence. Illidan and Kael'thas smiled for two completely reasons however, and this broke Saturna's heart.

She reached through her link with Illidan to call even more of his Demon magic to cover that feeling.

Incensed with the full Demon's power, Saturna walked past Kael'thas at the door. She was so high on this addiction to Illidan, she could barely walk a straight line. She eased into a slow, brooding saunter around the table, leaning on each large ancient chair as she went.

Kael'thas was in shock. He knew that expression well, that brash, corrupted smile… Now he knew what was going on, and looked from Saturna to Illidan with wide eyes. Saturna went and stood at Illidan's right hand, the way she knew the Demon man wanted her to. Illidan lifted long shining black claws and stroked Saturna's hair, like she was nothing but his plaything.

"Good woman pet. Thank you for bringing him to me." Illidan leaned over and nuzzled into her hair, smelled it.

Kael'thas came before Illidan as well, but stopped a safe distance away. "What in the hell is going on—"

"I enjoyed your woman while you were gone, brother."

Kael'thas opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't settle on anything fast enough. Saturna turned on Illidan as well. She'd worked so carefully to keep this a secret from the man she loved...

Illidan spoke over them both. "And she really did love me. She adored me, and I her. I see why you like her so much. Saturna is so soft, so supple…" Illidan licked the side of Saturna's face. She didn't cringe, there was too much Demon magic throbbing in her veins for her to allow that show of weakness.

_What have you done! For him to be safe from this, that is all I wanted Illidan!_

_I just burned your last bridge to ash woman-pet... that is your punishment__for trying to out-wit me with your friends. And don't pretend that you are such a martyr. You wanted him to look on you with love when you killed him, so that you could have him in the end. I will not allow that. You will not even die with dignity now. Do you see how creative I can get, even when your fate is death? Try to scheme against me again and you will lose far more in the last hours of your life!_

Clearly, Illidan was talking to Kael'thas at the same time. He realized something and his mood changed in an instant. "Earlier today, and last night when we were arguing... You blamed me for this?!"

At last, Illidan spoke aloud over the couple's seething days-old argument. "Kael'thas no. It doesn't have to be the way you are thinking, that's not what I was suggesting… There is opportunity here, don't you see it? The crisis at the Black Temple has passed, hasn't it, and you will have to return to Tempest Keep soon and leave me. Why not take Saturna with you for some of that time and you can have her. Then after… she can come to me and I can enjoy her."

Kael'thas was horrified.

Illidan went on. "I've always wanted to share with my brother. Perhaps sometimes we could even have her together—"

Saturna gasped and lashed out, but Illidan grabbed a fistful of her pale blonde hair. He forced her to face Kael'thas. Kael'thas raised a hand, made a move towards Illidan in defense of the woman he loved but fell short. Saturna watched the anger rise in him, saw him wrestle with whether to confront his powerful friend or not. He narrowed angry eyes at Saturna instead.

_You see, woman-pet…he cares more for me than he does for you. He knows the truth and does he defend you? No. He speaks against you and indulges me._

_Illidan, you never said that was a part of your plan! You and Kael'thas sharing me? How could you even suggest something like that, what is wrong with you—_

_Perhaps… I love my brother and wanted to give him one last chance. But it is truly at an end now, isn't it? Finish him._

Illidan slipped the black soulstone from Saturna's hand.

"Why did you lie to me!" Kael'thas was yelling at her. "I loved you, I trusted you with everything, Saturna."

Saturna descended the last stair of Illidan's throne, Corrupted Ashbringer in hand.

"I did what I had to do… to survive."

"Are you mocking me? That and _this_… Illidan and the Burning Legion, those two things are entirely different!"

Saturna looked up at the ceiling briefly. It was morning but where was the light? The massive dark stones and threads of fel magic sealed up the ruined dome above. Like an evil twin of the Golden Shrine…

Saturna closed her eyes when she felt the tears still coming forth, despite the Demon magic. She called still more of it to empower her.

But it came out anyway, her voice broke. "Kael'thas, nevermind who is right and who is wrong… Aren't you even going to ask me how it happened?"

"You slept with my best friend! What excuse can there be?"

A lone tear crept down Saturna's face. "Is it really this easy for you to believe what he wants, that you are worthless and that something like this was bound to happen to you anyway? Please, Kael'thas. You know that I love you."

"Well, I don't love you. Not anymore—"

In one deft motion, Saturna rushed over, put up her sword and kissed Kael'thas. She wrapped both arms around his neck, pulled him into it. She could taste the salt of tears on his lips, and cried with him as she did it, as she begged him with her body and her heart, with everything to give in, one last time and see the truth. Even if she told him now, even if she took the chance that it might crush him... Kael'thas was not open to hearing the truth, it sounded like he was already so set against her, so quick to discount himself.

Kael'thas grabbed Saturna around the waist, took over the kiss. He wanted her, she could feel that after everything that happened to them, he still wanted her. But something wasn't right…

_My Kael'thas is not weak as you have assumed. _Illidan said. _You are forcing him to choose between you and I, Saturna. You cannot outsmart me, you cannot outsmart him…_

So in time with Illidan's thought that Saturna almost forgot who kissed her, Kael'thas ended it. He sneered at Saturna, pried her arms from around his neck. She trembled and begged him in heartbroken, desperate whispers. Now, more than ever, she felt like his pathetic fangirl. Kael'thas saw what she was doing and simply ignored her. Then he lifted her right hand, the finger with the black engagement ring on it. Kael'thas kissed that hand lovingly, but was only mocking her. At the last moment, he slipped the star off of her finger.

"I'm done with you."

Saturna felt like she was dead already.

"Do you know why we always argued over the future, Saturna?" Kael'thas had taken that arrogant, accusing tone again. But it was pained. "We kept putting off big decisions, like where we would live together, or if we'd get married… if we would have children together. It was never the right time to think about those things, was it? We were afraid to, because we were both so terrified of facing the truth, that we in fact have no future together! Where would we live, where would we go, that people wouldn't judge us?" He paced over to Illidan's side. "And I was a fool, so desperate… to fall in love with a woman who was obsessed with me. I was right from the start, I only made it worse for you, by indulging your sick fantasies. And it hurt me too, got in the way of reason, in the way of the work I had to do here. By the Sun!" he tossed his head back and laughed bitterly. "I threw a ball for you, I made an ass of myself… the people down in Shatthrath City must really be laughing it up now, right? And news has probably reached Silvermoon City by now too. What they must think of me…"

Illidan answered for him. "That you've gone mad."

Finally, Kael'thas turned to Illidan. Illidan smiled at his old friend, bold in his untimely joke. Then Illidan grinned at Saturna.

And he laughed. Illidan laughed at the both of them, loud triumphant and long. It was illogical, mad celebration. Not when he was the one who'd ruined his friend's life, his future. Not when Kael'thas had every reason in the world to hate him for it. Kael'thas shifted his gaze to Saturna. Illidan clapped his friend on the back, and said, breathless,

"Congratulations… on your engagement. I never did tell you that."

Saturna watched Kael'thas do it. Right in front of her, he made the decision. He reached through their link, so addicted to Illidan's influence, he indulged in it to cover the betrayal of his best friend. Kael'thas then turned to Saturna, looked down his nose at her the way Illidan did and smiled. He began laughing at her too, so desperate to feel strong again.

_I win._ Illidan told Saturna.

_No…_

_No? Will you prove me wrong then, woman pet? _

All of them in a haze, seeing things and feeling things on their high that they never should, kinds of love that were unnatural, joy that was twisted, compassion that was blackened and so rife it rotted away their hearts and minds…

Even now, Illidan insisted, _If you love him, then murder him for me. Punish him, and then we both win._

"You look upset, Saturna? Do you want this back?" Kael'thas dangled the ring over her head, and looked up to Illidan to see if his friend liked the joke. Illidan did, he laughed even harder. Kael'thas' green eyes blazed, he took more magic from Illidan. "What do you think we should do to make her get it back, my friend, my brother? Perhaps walk through fire…"

Saturna yelled at Kael'thas, "How selfish of the sun to rise, and then refuse to shine on me! When all I have ever done is worship it, loved it with everything that I had. I gave my life to you… and you gave it away!" she took her sword in hand, came closer.

Kael'thas was out of his mind now. He bent over, in stitches of laughter, had to grab hold of Illidan's arm. The both of them harmonizing without realizing it, the villainous tones soaring.

Saturna said even louder, "And after everything that he has done against you, and that I have done for you, you still choose him over me? And Sun forbid, if Illidan ever disappoints you, what powerful master will you cling to next, Kil'jaeden? You are nothing more than a lackey, Kael'thas!"

Kael'thas snorted aristocratically at her. "Oh, Saturna, give it up already. Why don't you go somewhere else with your self-righteous Bloodknight bullshi--"

"And so I stand alone in all this darkness… me and my sword against the two of you."

Kael'thas shrugged that he didn't care, and went on siding with his friend. But Illidan knew what was coming, all this time he had been laughing_at_Kael'thas, not with him.

"Saturna, please," Kael'thas took another shot at her, "it's a little too late to take up that mission of yours again. Illidan is never going to let you assassinate me." He looked up at his Demon friend. "Heh, did you know that's what she was up to this entire time, with those Bloodknights?" another bout of laughter. "…Illidan?"

Illidan was focused solely on Saturna now.

Kael'thas should not have seen it coming, but in the end Saturna knew he did. Because when the fel green Corrupted Ashbringer sliced through his neck, when the flesh tore open, the artery severed and his hot blood stained her face, Kael'thas was looking directly at her.

The bloodied trunk of Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider knelt on Illidan's throne then fell forward and lay at Saturna's feet. His head hit the floor a moment after the dull thud of the corpse. Gold hair became stained with red blood that seeped into a pool beneath the ripped throat.

The glow of his green eyes at last faded. Once, they had been as verdant, as agitated as Saturna's were now. She'd taken all she could stand of Illidan's Demon magic to get high enough and do it at last.

Illidan started to laugh anew. "Ha! Excellent!"

Saturna knelt down, broke down and cried. It couldn't make a difference now, but she moved the head back to where it was meant to be, on her lover's body.

"A star shines alone in the darkness, doesn't she?" She whispered, and discreetly slipped Kael'thas' ring back on her finger. "Maybe that is what you meant. Oh, Kael'thas…"

Illidan was standing over she and the corpse of his friend now, a Blade of Azzinoth in one hand, Kael'thas' soulstone in the other.

"Are you happy now, Saturna? You have his ring, you took his life, reaped his soul… everything that you ever wanted. Your love for him was disgusting, you selfish, pathetic bitch. I knew I could count on you to be obsessive on this extreme as well as the other." He shrugged, "the results being the same. Now, do you see what I see? How bad you were for him."

Saturna bowed her head, and hugged Kael'thas' corpse. She dug her black gauntleted fingers into his scarlet robes.

"Get away from him." Illidan snarled at her. "You aren't worthy of him, not even to mourn my brother!"

Saturna crawled backward, out of the way of a shining blade Illidan slashed passed her. But he hadn't missed. This was the predator in the wild, bearing its fangs for her to keep distance. Illidan wasn't ready to attack, not yet.

"You know," and he stepped over Kael'thas' corpse with a large cloven hoof, forced even more space between Saturna and the body of her lover. "He's dead now. I don't have to kill you right away…"

Saturna had not let go of her blade. She got hastily to her feet. "He's dead! You're disgusting…"

"No, I am honest. I want him to see… Come here. I'm going to have you again, one last time. Why don't you let me say goodbye to you, for him? It's what Kael'thas would have wanted, what he wasn't man enough to do for you in the end when he could have loved you and kept you. But I know better. I would not have wasted that chance." he lied.

Saturna felt his slithering voice everywhere in her mind, his long forked tongue sliding up her legs again…

"No! I am _not_ finished yet!"

Illidan threw his head back and laughed. "My dear, when did you ever have a choice—"

Saturna saw her opening, however accidental of Illidan, and ran him through with her sword.

To the hilt.

Illidan leaned over, coughed up black blood. "You stupid bitch… you can't kill me. Not even Arthas—"

Saturna called up a golden shield when Illidan brought his blade around and attempted to take off her head, mid-sentence.

"Yes, I remembered that about you… that Arthas almost did, that he could have. You _can_ be killed Illidan Stormrage, and I am going to try, for Kael'thas."

Illidan roared at her, but Saturna ignored him. She turned her blade white…

It hurt. Illidan snarled at her, with bared teeth and then again in her mind. His manipulating her never stopped, he sent horrifying images of them together over the link, trying to unseat her concentration. But Saturna stayed focused. She put everything she had into the spell. The wound in Illidan's middle began to turn white. The Light burned him. He grit his teeth against it, growled with the effort of not showing his pain. But at last, he had to drop Kael'thas' soulstone, and his weapon. He put both hands on the white Corrupted Ashbringer and tried to dislodge it.

The spell burned his hands and Illidan let forth a grating, twisted yowl. The spell ate at his flesh, burned away the skin, then the red muscle beneath that. Like a parasite, the Light feasted on his Demon body, Illidan's entire middle was nearly consumed.

"When that runs out…" Illidan swatted at Saturna's golden shield with burned hands but couldn't hurt her.

"Does the shield even matter Illidan? Do you think I am such a coward, that I would only attack you like this? I would try and destroy you even without such an advantage. But you were counting on that, weren't you, this misperception you have of me. You thought that because I loved Kael'thas and our son that I wouldn't go as far as I have. That I wouldn't dare put our baby in danger again. Do think I'm a fool, because I am a woman? Did you think I'd be so caught up in such lofty ideals of motherhood that I wouldn't realize my child was in danger whether I stayed my hand and allowed you to kill me or if I attacked you first and initiated the danger? Nor do you give Kael'thas enough credit… Whether you liked it or not, we fit together for a reason. I learned from him Illidan. And I did this for him, because I couldn't trust Kael'thas to stand by me when I turned against you. Now he can't stop me from saving him."

Illidan, in his blind rage, grabbed for the sword again. The white Light magic had expanded so far now, nearly up to his throat. The Demon Lord of Outland himself was panicking. He was dying.

"Don't you recognize what I'm doing Illidan? I am wearing your Demon scales, you have bathed me in your own blood, I am filled up with your magic, the influence you allowed me to have so that I could kill for you. But I am killing _you_, exorcising you with this white blade spell, with the Corrupted Ashbringer itself, the Demon-killing sword. Maybe you knew I might try this, assumed that it wouldn't be enough. But there is someone else helping me right now too. The son of Kael'thas Sunstrider."

She twisted the sword in his gut. "The powerful gift of the ancient Sunstrider line lives within me, and that, with everything else is enough, just barely enough... Don't look at me like that, Illidan Stormrage, like you're just now seeing me for the first time. What was it you told me when you stood over me and raped me? How was it that you rationalized your behavior? This is the way of nature, Illidan. The mother Lynx is taking her cub on his first hunt. I am not putting my son at risk by doing this, no, that is what I realized… Belorim and I are killing you together. I am giving him a taste of Demon's blood, his first taste so that he will learn. His father failed to see, but Belorim will not. He will never forget what the enemy looks like!"

Illidan let forth a final piercing roar. It was deafening, Saturna leaned in against it, began to push harder now that her shield was waning, the deed nearly done…

Then, at the edge of her vision, Saturna saw the dark walls crack. Black pieces shattered and fell.

"No, this can't be—"

The screech of a woman came with the resurgence of the world of reality. Illidan had placed a ward on the Blackened Shrine just like before with the raiders, but someone had just broken through... Lady Vashj slithered up beside Saturna and began healing Illidan with yellow light.

"No…" Saturna gasped.

"KILL HER!" Lady Vashj screamed to the Naga soldiers who were slithering up fast behind them. The women were dressed strangely in fel green runed garments, each had tiny sharp instruments in their webbed fists. They put the delicate black implements down to heal Illidan with their Queen. There were male Naga warriors too. These clacked their jaws fiendishly and fell on Saturna, slashed tritons at her, even before the shield could fully fade.

Illidan's voice, which had been fading from Saturna's mind, weakly returned.

_I… win…_

He never said anything about Lady Vashj. Saturna panicked. Illidan had a plan within a plan, something he never told her about. He never dared to give her the chance to outsmart him, he left Lady Vashj out of his lies, his manipulations on purpose. What were the two of them going to do next, why did they have so many healers?

Saturna looked past Illidan, at the body of Kael'thas.

"No… oh my Sunshine. I did my best…" she mourned. "All for you."

When her golden shield faded, Illidan pulled the now silver sword free from his abdomen and nearly cast Saturna aside with it. She let it go at last, Illidan angrily swept the Naga warriors the away with his other arm.

Saturna kept focused on Kael'thas though she knew what was coming.

"My life for my Prince." She saluted his gored body on the floor.

Then Illidan raked through her black armor with his bare hand and rent Saturna wide open. She twisted as she fell, caught in the momentum of his swing, her arms arced gracefully overhead for a moment, her breast opened skyward, the feet just barely lifted off the ground. In that moment, she was beautiful. Everyone in the room watched Saturna die. They could not look away.

Then the fairywoman hit the stone floor hard, and was still. Lady Vashj slithered up to the now dead Saturna Whiteblade, regarded her for a long moment while the others looked on.

Then, their Queen irreverently spat on the corpse.

Illidan was breathing hard because of his injury, staggered backward and collapsed. Wings wilted and he reached across his chest to hold the burning white gash closed.

"Heal My Lord!" Lady Vashj shouted at her women.

"No… go to Kael'thas." Illidan groaned. "I want him fixed, now, Lady Vashj!"

Lady Vashj screeched with frustration at Illidan but did as he ordered. She flicked her hand open back over her shoulder and one of the Naga priestesses placed a long rusty needle in her palm. Others rushed up to Lady Vashj's sides and dressed her in black regalia that glowed with jagged, glowing fel green runes. They tied a black mask over her face. There were no holes for the eyes, but elegant stylized reptilian eyes had been painted there in white. The drawn lids nearly closed, mysteriously enlightened. It could have been Queen Azshara's enthralled face. Lady Vashj's consorts took off their wide collars and stood nearby so she could use their necks as a guide as she worked. They smiled down at Kael'thas. The horrible fate waiting for him was evident on their faces, the sort of singular pain one rejoiced at giving to someone else, for that was the one relief, the loathsome existence could be shared. As Lady Vashj closed in on Kael'thas, threaded needle ready, the white eyes seeing more than his severed neck…

Saturna's fingers moved.

Across the room, Illidan struggled up to warn the Naga Queen, but Saturna had wounded him more gravely than he first assumed. Illidan could do nothing, say nothing but gasp in pain. And he had killed Saturna, his soul link with her was broken. So then how was she able to…

Saturna stepped out of her corpse, a woman of sparkling gold. She stalked up directly behind Lady Vashj and her distracted, fussing Naga. All of them huddled around Kael'thas in their black robes like vultures.

Mother Whiteblade turned both her hands a blazing white.

"So you want to know what it feels like to touch my Sunshine, do you? Getting your hands on Kael'thas, was that your plan all along Lady Vashj? CAUSE I CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT!"


	28. Legacy of the Whiteblade, Part III

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Legacy of the Whiteblade, Part III**

**Resurrection**

Translucent, sparkling golden, Saturna Whiteblade intensified Sunthraze's Hand of Light spell until it consumed her entire arm. This she used to snatch Lady Vashj up in a headlock.

The Naga woman screeched in such a singular, offensive octave that the glass jars of vile magics her women had set near Kael'thas' body clattered, then cracked and burst. Illidan covered his ears and cursed Lady Vashj at the top of his lungs from where he lay helpless on the floor. The jagged black rock in the ruined dome overhead trembled, the green fel magic began to pulse and ripple. The Naga Queen's voice passed through the vile seal if it were but water. Shards of black rock loosed from their mysterious cursed mortar, began to fall.

Saturna kept shouting, though by now, few people could have been able to hear her. "This is what it feels like to touch Kael'thas! It's beautiful isn't it? But it also hurts like hell." then she suddenly flared in true fangirl fashion, "Months ago, he chose me and not you! I am the only one who gets to touch the Sun, the only one who is going to love him, or carry his child, or kill him, or SAVE HIM!"

She kept burning Lady Vashj with Sunthraze's power, yanked the Naga Queen around by the throat with all her strength. Saturna was trying to break the other woman's neck.

Lady Vashj dug claws into Saturna's arm but only ended up burning her fingers as well as her throat. The Naga priestesses and warriors cast off their strange ritualistic robes and raced to help their Queen, but spells, weapons, everything passed through Saturna. They could only watch helplessly as the Bloodknight took her revenge.

It was a shame that Saturna missed it, the look of true fear on Illidan's face as he watched.

Lady Vashj, managed to heal herself with the help of her priestesses and would not be killed so easily. Saturna looked at Kael'thas, and realized that she was wasting time and screamed with frustration.

"No, I don't have time to kill you either, but I wont' let you forget how you wronged Kael'thas and I… the way I did with Illidan." Then Saturna moved her white hands up Vashj's scaley neck and clawed fingers directly into her face.

The Naga Queen let forth another bone-chilling screech and larger rocks crashed down on them. In her new form, Saturna was not affected by the rocks or the noise.

"Vile bitch! I WILL REND YOU FROM YOUR FLESH!" Lady Vashj cursed Saturna.

"Kael'thas has already rejected me in the worst possible way. There can be no worse blight on my soul." Saturna then angrily cast Lady Vashj aside with both hands.

The mask of Queen Azshara was bloodied. Lady Vashj lashed about on the ground in a feral rage over what Saturna had done to her, but no one could see beyond the mask, those blissfully enlightened eyes that only looked inward, now stained so red...

Saturna went and got the Corrupted Ashbringer then knelt beside Kael'thas. She placed hands, now turned a pure benign gold, on either side of his neck.

"My love... come back to me, please... Rise."

Illidan gasped for tortured breaths as he clutched his gaping chestwound closed... All he could do was watch.

The red-robed chest of Kael'thas began to rise and fall again, a hand reached out. Illidan could have leaned across that distance, touched his friend. But Saturna took Kael'thas' hand for herself and kissed it. The Demon Lord was left grasping at air, and he regretted even that because the effort reopened his wound. Not even Demon magic could heal that fast.

With the infinite strength of the Light, Saturna lifted Kael'thas Sunstrider, something she could never do in life, into her arms.

"To me, Scourgebane!"

Saturna's Thalassian charger, also summoned of pure Light as were all Bloodknight mounts, appeared beneath she and Kael'thas in a burst of yellow magic. She positioned her resurrected lover so that he could sit up in front of her in the saddle and pulled the reigns.

Lady Vashj had heard the horse, knew Saturna was trying to escape and screamed in a fit so loud that the ground shook. The largest stone in the ruined ceiling overhead rumbled free and then came careening down directly at Saturna and Kael'thas on the fleeing horse.

Saturna shouted something, they couldn't hear what it was, and turned herself, Kael'thas, the Corrupted Ashbringer and the horse Scourgebane white. The stone passed through them and smashed into Illidan's ancient meeting table. The Demon Lord just barely rolled himself out of the way in time... many of Lady Vashj's followers were not so quick. He didn't see what happened to his Second in Command. But her voice ended in an agonizing growl beneath the rubble.

The entire room filled with sunlight and Saturna's white blade spell. They didn't even know that she was gone until moments later when the dark spots in their vision, the light-blindness faded.

Illidan crawled on one clawed hand and knees over to where Vashj had fallen. He turned over large pieces of ancient table and fel-stained stone to find her.

The bloodied mask had come halfway off. Illidan recoiled in horror at what Saturna had done. Yes there were scars... but what was more terrifying was the true face of Lady Vashj that was revealed. Layers upon layers of Naga magic had melted away, leaving a horrid thousands of years old face exposed.

She spoke, and Illidan fell backward. "Illidan Stormrage! You kill her! You find her and you SEND HER TO HELL! Don't let her get away, don't let her live, OR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF!" and she meant it. Lady Vashj tried to lash out at him but couldn't because she was caught between two massive stones.

Illidan flinched. "Of course I am! But, I'm not going for _you_!" he defended himself against her wife-like browbeating, especially in this situation.

Lady Vashj hissed at him and offered up the long rusty needle meant for Kael'thas in a trembling green webbed hand.

The Demon Lord's curses could be heard throughout the Black Temple as the surviving Naga priestesses sewed his wound closed with the burning fel magic of Nazjatar. At the same time, all the poor denizens of the Black Temple also heard thundering hoofbeats coming down the Main Causeway.

A horse made of white light burned away everything in its path, galloped more swiftly than nature could ever allow, leapt over obstacles with impossible grace. And they did not miss the rider, a golden woman who held Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider with one firm arm around his waist.

Anyone who dared get in their way was obliterated.

_Later..._

It took Saturna and her Bloodknights two weeks to travel on horseback from Shatthrath City to the Black Temple some months ago. Now, with the help of her white blade spell at intervals, she and Kael'thas rode through Shadowmoon Valley at the speed of magic.

How many hours had it been? Saturna couldn't tell. Kael'thas just as distraught. As he slowly healed in Saturna's arms, he went in and out of consciousness. Sometimes he spoke, but rarely did he make any sense. She did not know if he loved her or hated her, or if he would hurt her when he recovered, which Saturna found more terrifying than their flight from the Black Temple.

"I've got you, don't worry my love..." she reassured him.

"Wouldn't it be nice... if I could hold you instead..."

"What did you say?"

"I..." he laughed groggily, "isn't this the part where you turn around in the saddle... desperate attempt to make love to me before we die... what you meant about the cherries?"

Saturna let the wind take her tears away once more. What if she let Kael'thas lay dead in the Blackened Shrine for too long, what if more than his body had been broken?

"No, don't worry about that Sunshine. You already allowed me to love you Kael'thas, in the way that I'd been dreaming all my life. You let me give you my gift so very many precious times. I'll never forget you, how you feel, what you taste like..." the horse Scourgebane came out of the white blade spell then and his now mortal hooves scattered her words.

They were at the edge of Shadowmoon Valley now, precariously near to sanctuary, but Saturna didn't dare use another white blade spell on the horse. She looked up at the twilight sky and guessed that they'd been gone longer than a day at least… perhaps she and Kael'thas had been riding at the speed of magic for almost a day and a night? She secretly hoped not. That would only mean she had recklessly pushed her mastery over the Light far past its limit. Saturna sensed that she had only one spell left. This spell, she didn't dare use unless after everything, there truly was no more hope of survival.

Gray blighted rock road paled to a sandy olive. Then there was grass among the stones and Saturna looked up to see the pale green canopy of Terrokkar Forest was all around them. White pine cones like stars shone gently in the boughs of trees. Though the sacred forest appeared peaceful and welcoming on its own, Saturna would not let herself forget that it was enemy territory. But this was all fate had left to her, there was no other choice.

Kael'thas lurched forward all of a sudden when the horse skirted a rock in the road and Saturna nearly went with him. The strength of her healing form, it was fading...

"I am not going to speak to you decently, Saturna Whiteblade..." Eyes still closed, Kael'thas sat up and smiled against her cheek, tried to turn around and kiss her.

Saturna laughed. "No, you're going to be fine, aren't you? You're waking up and the first thing you try to do is flirt with me... that's the man I know well."

"No… she has made me a father, she has made me a man... the love of my life..."

Saturna recognized what he'd been saying earlier, but didn't remember Kael'thas ever saying this to her.

"Stop! How could you do this to me? I am lost without my star to guide me."

"Oh, Kael'thas! I'm sorry, but I had to take you away to sanctuary, seek help from others and get you home—"

He didn't answer, but slumped over. Saturna struggled to keep him on the horse. The gates of Shatthrath City were coming into sight...

Then he yelled, "Don't! I'll never forgive you... I don't care... out of my head... don't you dare hurt her, Illidan!"

Saturna let go the reigns, held Kael'thas with both arms. "No, it can't be..."

But even as she feared it could be, Kael'thas suddenly opened his eyes, gasped for air and looked helplessly skyward. A weak arm trembled as it pointed to a break in the trees. A drip of black blood fell from somewhere, stained his cheek…

And there was Illidan Stormrage, soaring miles overhead. Black tattered wings were thrown off now and again by the wind as he struggled to keep up with them. The dark shadow enveloped them. It should have been impossible. Saturna wanted to scream but couldn't. She knew that it was too late for screaming, for fear, when death was so ominous.

Kael'thas was awake now. He grabbed the reigns in a panic.

"Kael'thas, no!"

"The Shatar will kill us!"

"Stop it! We have no other choice! I've been telling you that we were on the wrong side of this war… can't you see that!"

He pulled hard on the reigns, tried to turn Scourgebane around, but couldn't complete the turn. Kael'thas grimaced against a pain in his side and overcome by the horrible sensation, leaned out of the saddle. Saturna glanced from him up at the sky. Illidan was pointing Kael'thas as he crashed through the canopy. He'd done it through their Soul Link somehow. The shadow over them grew, Illidan closing in…

Two Draenei guards mounted on Elekks on either side of the eastern entrance to Shatthrath City opened their mouths in shock. Beggars who had been milling about that roadway shouted and ran for it.

An exhausted snorting Thalassian Charger was bearing down on them fast, a woman made of gold Light held Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider in the saddle. He was covered in blood, they'd just seen him give over to some injury.

"Sanctuary!" Saturna cried.

The guards called for support, formed a file...

"Please, I was once a friend of this place, allied with the Scryers! Sanctuary!"

There was a crashing through the treetops. The Demon Lord of Outland held both Blades of Azzinoth at the ready, roaring with fury at this woman of Light, the notorious Blood Elf Prince a victim in her arms. It was obvious that they needed help. And A'dal had taught them to forgive, to show compassion for those less fortunate.

But before the Shatari guards could make up their minds about how to receive the Blood Elf Prince, Aldor Vindicators pushed past them, weapons at the ready. Saturna couldn't stop her horse fast enough, her arms already full with the man she loved. The Draenei raised pikes and gored Scourgebane when he dutifully maintained his charge. The magical Bloodknight mount died whinnying in heartwrenching agony. Saturna and Kael'thas were thrown free.

Saturna saw Illidan landing, but her healing form was faster. She blinked over to Kael'thas, where he lay unconscious and helpless at the feet of the Draenei soldiers.

Illidan took a step toward them and brandished weapons at the enemy. "Don't be a fool, Saturna! Give him to me!"

"I am the champion of Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider," she announced to the Vindicators. On behalf of Kael'thas Sunstrider, I forsake the loyalty of my Prince to the Lord of Outland!"

Illidan became enraged then, flared open his wings. The Vindicators turned weapons on all three of them, Saturna tried to drag Kael'thas over the threshold into Shatthrath City. Her power was at an end and she could feel it. There was only one spell left, just one. But she wouldn't dare use it, not if there was still a chance she could live.

A shining silver blade cut down the Vindicator standing in front of her. Illidan's snarling face was next. He reached through the carnage, grabbed hold of her…

_Illidan and she were alone, darkness gathered about them. Saturna stood holding Kael'thas in her arms. Illidan sheathed his weapons and looked defeated with arms hanging at his sides._

"_You almost singlehandedly undid everything I've ever accomplished in Outland. You, woman, nearly killed Lady Vashj, you stole Kael'thas from me... Do you know that today you came very close to killing all three of us!" _

_Saturna remembered being trapped like this with Illidan before. She became alarmed and looked for a seam in his black ward. There was none._

_Illidan wasn't angry, he was devastated. "Have you nothing to say, not in defense of your actions, or even to curse me?"_

_Pale gold Saturna swallowed, held Kael'thas tighter._

"_Your innocence is maddening! I did everything in my power to destroy you, in the end I could not do that, so I built you up instead. I made a weapon out of you... how can you still be kind enough to save him but yet also mean enough to destroy me and mine?"_

_Saturna looked at Illidan sideways, "You... you're jealous? But not of me and Kael'thas."_

"_No woman has ever done for me, what you are doing for him."_

_Then he reached out and simply took Kael'thas from her. Saturna tried to hold onto her Prince, but Illidan was in control of everything... somehow the two of them were dreaming._

"_I don't care how you are manipulating my mind, Illidan. I am not leaving here without Kael'thas."_

"_What is salvation?" Illidan challenged, and wrapped a strong arm tighter around his friend, "Betraying all of us to the Shatar? Giving into your zealotry at last, deciding that you know better than me and Kael'thas and everyone else, who have been living this war every day for the last two years of our lives—"_

"_Kael'thas should have never got himself on your side of the war!"_

"_It was his choice! And he was comfortable, happy by my side."_

"_He was killing himself with arcane crystals and your magic. In fact, you wanted him that way, dying so that in the end he would have to turn to you, be just as desperate as you were in your madness and then be willing to do whatever you wanted. Isn't that what you really hoped to achieve, Illidan? To drive Kael'thas mad too? So that you could make him into your master? Your brother? To… share a woman with him? Do you even know how that sounds!"_

"_YOU CANNOT SAVE HALF A MAN!" Illidan burst forth. He took angry breaths, hugged Kael'thas possessively like one child keeping a coveted toy from another. "I am his other half, we share souls, a life…you can't steal him from me, that would end me." Illidan's voice broke, "That, at last would end me. That is why you are going to lose. I have to be stronger than you… I AM stronger than you. You can't defeat me, not after I've already given up so much!"_

"_If I am such a failure Illidan, then why do you look so afraid of me?"_

_He turned to Kael'thas, his voice so low he could have been whispering into his friend's ear. "…because I am."_

_Saturna came closer, taking a lesson from Kael'thas. Why was it that she now saw the wisdom in his manipulating Illidan so? She spoke to him gently,"Then give him back to me, Illidan. You aren't strong enough to care for Kael'thas. He does not belong with a mad man, a Demon Lord tortured by countless other demons inside his mind. You don't know the dark from Light, right from wrong… you're not even sure if you care for him or not. But I do. I know that I love him, and his people need him—"_

_Illidan turned back to her, eyes wide with fear. "Don't play his games with me! I need Kael'thas more than you do, more than anyone else does. I've lived this long…I am going to live forever and he with me. That is the way of nature…" he trailed off, "I am stronger than you are, you won't best me on a mere technicality, and you can't save Kael'thas this way, the wrong way, by taking only what you want and leaving the rest… You're wrong. You can't stop us, Saturna."_

_She snapped,"You sick sonofabitch! Do you really expect me to help you after everything you've done? You, Illidan? Let Kael'thas go!"_

_Illidan reached between them then, Saturna wanted to prevent him from touching her but she had no power in this realm. The Demon man raised one black claw tip, dragged it into the shimmering flesh of her neck._

_Saturna panicked. He wasn't supposed to be able to do that, bruise the Light. No one was._

_He instructed her, "Look at it. I am only revealing to you what is, what has already happened to your corpse. Perhaps because I am a Demon and you nearly bested me… that has left an impression on me, has made me see you with new eyes, Saturna Whiteblade." He truly struggled to say next, " But… it does not change the fact that I need Kael'thas more. I just can't let you split me in half… rip the very soul from my body. Not when I am also a man. No matter what anyone in Outland or in Azeroth ever thought of me, I deserve to live as well. Therefore, Lady Vashj and I have wrested your soul from its vessel first. When you die Saturna Whiteblade, you can never be brought back again. This is for the good of everyone, especially Kael'thas."_

_Heartbroken, Saturna reached up a hand, felt it. The Naga rune on her neck felt so dark, so vile…black against all the golden light. _

_Then she got angry and sneered at Illidan. "I don't care what you say to me, even if you've had some epiphany now that you're about to lose everything. I have no sympathy for you, Illidan Stormrage! At least I loved him… at least I wanted to help him. You are thousands of years older than me, you have seen more tragedy than I have, and also victories over the Legion. Maybe you are stronger than I am, in magic, and in body... But you are not a better person."_

_Crying, she drew her sword, turned it white. "You are a murderer and a rapist. You've killed men, women and children, you don't truly feel remorse. You know what is right and you just look the other way. It has nothing to do with how clever or powerful you are, even weak people can be evil. No, you look down at yourself Illidan. Touch your own neck, the place where you've forced a broken man to lay his head and find comfort. You are the real monster."_

"_Kael'thas is the same. Yet you only love him, you only tried to save him." his eyes lingered on Saturna for a long moment and Illidan at last whispered, "And you are wrong about me. I do have one regret… Goodbye, Belorim."_

_The black edges of that tiny realm began to splinter and crack. _The white of consciousness broke through. Saturna could barely make out the jagged skin of Illidan's wings surrounding them.

He held his friend Kael'thas in strong arms, pushed up off the ground. The tattered wings flared open and broke the dream. Saturna came to looking up at the delicate faded boughs of Terrokkar trees. Illidan easily dodged the arrows and spears they hurled up at him, then turned to take off through the canopy.

Saturna opened her mouth, screamed something that she didn't hear. Her own life was fading, it was hard to hear anything anymore, feel, or see. She watched until the red of Kael'thas' robes faded into the gray sky with the Demon Lord. She stood and watched while his minions rushed in immediately after on Netherdrakes and began to hurl crude projectiles at the Draenei attackers. The Shatari Skyguard swooped in on Nether Rays and engaged Illidan's forces in real combat.

Saturna reached up to the sky for her Kael'thas. She wanted to blink across time and space for him, touch him with her healing form and be with him, at least in the end. But she had already turned her blade white, for their son. It was best that Illidan not to see her do it.

"The Sun… the Sun." it became hard to breathe and Saturna lay down. Everyone fought around her, they did not see her fade. They did not hear her singing the Lament of the Highborne to herself alone during those last painful moments of her life.

But there were others like her in this life to whom it would always mean something.

The sin'dorei they called Voren'thall the Seer came cautiously to the gates with his companions. He inched along nervously because he'd been assassinated months earlier and being teased by the Aldor and everyone else after he got resurrected was so very embarrassing. He didn't dare risk getting killed again by his Prince's men when they got loose. And he'd heard that some other cavalier Sunfury had come to the city...

The Scryer soldiers paused at the gates. They pressed up against the inner wall of the city, swords at the ready. Where the Aldor had been bold and unflinching, the Scryers were wary and stealthy. They had heard that Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider himself had come to the gates seeking the same kind redemption A'dal had so generously bestowed on them when they defected from the Sunfury a few years ago.

But where was that traitor Prince Kael'thas? He could not have really been fleeing from Illidan Stormrage. That was just too good to be true, or bad… Voren'thall hadn't made up his mind about that yet. He pushed some agitated Aldor soldiers out of his way and waved his men over. Together, they looked out into the desolate road.

The Scryers heard her before they saw her.

"Saturna Whiteblade?" he looked around for more of then enemy, and then deciding that she truly was this harmless, knelt over her. "But… how? And why are you like this? Are you somehow behind all this?"

Saturna lay with one arm reaching out for her sword. The white blade was only a few inches from her fingertips but she couldn't get to it. "I tried to save him… that's why we went."

"Well, I wasn't convinced of what you and those three knuckleheads were saying until now. And you murdered many of our own in the process," he grimaced, "Even if they were Aldor. What you've done with your Bloodknights was monstrous! If you are looking to be spared now, you're a far cry away from…" Voren'thall leaned on a knee and left off what he was going to say next. "Well, they say you rode down out of Shadowmoon Valley, screaming for sanctuary? Before we even dare to do anything for you, we deserve to know the truth. Did Illidan try to kill Prince Kael'thas!"

"My sword… please…"

Saturna cried, kept reaching for her sword. Overcome with compassion for a fellow Blood Elf who had believed so deeply in their Prince but fallen so far because of it, Voren'thall at last leaned across and dragged it near for her. She got a hand on the hilt, stroked a finger down the shining white blade affectionately.

"Lady Saturna… No, this isn't right. A healer! Someone send for a healer, then we'll negotiate terms of…"

Saturna looked up at him gratefully, eyes of pure Light glistening as if real liquid tears could have come from this ghost of a woman. "Too late. But it's good to know… I chose right. You would have protected him."

It was a dangerous notion to confirm before all the Aldor, the Shatar, the Alliance and Horde soldiers who fought with them, against Kael'thas. And these people had begun to gather at the gates.

Voren'thall leaned in and whispered, "It would have been nothing short of a miracle if he did. I myself would not believe it… I'm sorry but I can't guarantee—"

"But you would have tried." Saturna gathered the last of her strength to say with conviction, "I know… more than you can imagine, how important it is to try. Take my sword."

"Kael'thas has not changed… has he?"

"I love him…" Saturna offered Voren'thall the white blade. "But it wasn't enough. Please, take it. For Kael'thas."

"I shouldn't." he looked over his shoulder nervously at the other Shatar. "I_can't. _You have no idea what kind of trouble this is going to cause, just because the sin'dorei can't help but put Quel'thalas first, after everything we've endured for our country."

Then, before his eyes, Saturna died. The gold light disappeared, leaving only the sword. The other Scryers near him began to say what he felt, that it wasn't right to leave something so precious in the road. Others said that if it belonged to Prince Kael'thas then they should most certainly take it, keep it away from him.

"I will take your sword, Saturna Whiteblade. What value it holds for our Prince or the future of our people… that is a vision of the future I have not yet been blessed with."

The Scryers wrapped the White Blade in a cloth, because it burned their hands, and took it into the sanctuary of the city for safekeeping.

The people of Shatthrath City were not the only ones waiting to hear an explanation of the events on that day. There was a rumor at the Black Temple that Saturna Whiteblade and Illidan Stormrage had fought and the conflict dragged them both from the Black Temple, down to the very gates of Shatthrath City. It was not clear yet who won, but all the Naga healers that came and went from the Blackened Shrine whispered nervously that Illidan was dying. No one said anything about what had happened to Saturna Whiteblade.

And so, two days later, Fennore was not surprised when they called for him. He was the strongest healer among all of Illidan's allies, it was really just a matter of time.

Illidan had put Fel Orc guards outside of their room, and two pushed inside, stood on the spot where Saturna so often had one of her 'pity parties' and yanked Fennore up by both arms, though he was ready to go willingly. Pyorin and Sunthraze weren't sure why the three of them were being treated so poorly after all their hard work to fit in with Illidan's forces, but they weren't fools. They could not speak out against it or defend themselves, not when their Commander was missing and Prince Kael'thas was rumored to be gravely injured. Not even Sorn was allowed to go and see Kael'thas. There was no one in the Black Temple who could speak on their behalf.

Well, there _was_ General Blaize, but fat chance of that ever happening.

But beyond that, the Nexites also realized that all this extra guard and distrust coming from Lord Illidan could mean their mission had been compromised. It was best not to say a word to anyone about the real sort of trouble they could be in. The three of them had talked about either fleeing the Black Temple or getting Saturna out. But with no word as to her condition or their Prince's it was hard to decide what to do. They were not even sure if she was dead… It was Fennore who brought up that possibility a day ago and they chewed him out for it. It terrified them to think of her that way. For now, they were completely at the mercy of the Lord of Outland.

"Survive." Pyorin ordered Fennore when the red Fel Orcs forced him from their room to see Illidan. Silently, Fennore nodded. The Fel Orcs drew their jagged blades, snarled and slammed the door shut again. They joined a fully armored escort of Demon guards who took Fennore far down the Main Causeway, to the west.

Fennore didn't see Saturna at first. He was alarmed by the amount of destruction in the room. Large black rocks had destroyed the long stone meeting table at its center. The dome above was completely ruined, the dark seal of fel magic and black rocks had caved in. And then, there was agonizing Illidan, bent over in his throne.

The Demon man had a horrible gash in his side, but one almost missed that too. The wound glowed just like Saturna's White Blade spell. And now, two days after their rumored fight, it was still burning. Fennore was really concerned to see that rumor confirmed for him, but there was no hiding, no running away now.

Illidan was surrounded by the many Demonesses in his harem and his officers. Each deadly beautiful Demon had claws or weapons drawn and watched their Lord protectively. Among them was Mavia the Maneater. She did not look as happy to see Fennore as he was to see her, so he worked harder to ignore his racing heart. The Bloodknight silently cursed himself for not being able to control his feelings for the woman, even at a time like this.

Whip firm in her talons, Mavia looked at Fennore intensely as if she were the one speaking to him when Illidan said,

"Look at what she did to me."

Fennore finally came around the ruins in the center of the room and saw. Saturna's body lay on the floor just beyond them. The black armor was torn open with five jagged claw marks that raked through the skin, the red flesh… the blood was dry by now.

"No…" Fennore fell to his knees. He reached out to Saturna's corpse, but fell short. What could he even do? Two whole days had passed. But that was only forty-eight hours, maybe if he did it quickly…

"She is the betrayer. She killed your Prince, and then she turned on me."

"No she didn't. That's not possible!" Fennore wouldn't leave her side, though his red Fel Orc guards closed in on him from behind. Illidan raised a trembling hand, the other was keeping his wound closed in addition to the strange stitches, and stopped them from what they were about to do.

"I don't have time to argue with you." Illidan took a painful breath. "You have a choice. One path will result in the death of you and your friends. The other will endear you to me because then, I will be convinced that you did not know of your Commander's betrayal, and that she acted alone. If you are smart Fennore the Immortal, you already know which is best."

Fennore reached over and closed Saturna's eyes with a loving hand. Then he covered his face, overwhelmed with the loss. She really had been in trouble. Why didn't she just tell him? Why didn't she tell any of them… Fennore realized then why she hadn't. She couldn't. He and the others had made that impossible for her.

Illidan said, "Heal me, or resurrect her, as I know you want to. You will choose for yourself and your friends, once and forever."

Fennore looked up at Illidan. "You know already where I stand—"

Mavia took a step between the agonizing Demon Lord, Saturna's corpse and Fennore. "You have a good heart, Fennore the Immortal. Would you really condemn our Lord and Master, sentence him to such a lingering, painful death? Not when your Commander was in the wrong. Master Illidan, allow me to talk some sense into him." she uncoiled her whip and closed in on the Bloodknight.

"Mavia!" Fennore was shocked. She thrust her hand forward and cast some dark spell before he could react, and then suddenly… the succubus was all he could see.

_Fennore the Immortal you must listen to me. Look only at me, concentrate on the sound of my voice._

Fennore shook his head. _Finally, you are seducing me… but it is to trick me into doing something so vile. I can't do it, Mavia._

_No, I am trying to warn you. Look at her neck. Do you see the mark there?_

Fennore did look.

_Not too much, Fennore. I don't want Illidan to know that I am helping you. That magic, he and Lady Vashj placed it on the woman's dead flesh on purpose. It has separated her body from her soul. There is no reuniting them. It is impossible to resurrect her. Not even Arthas' plague could raise a body so marked. That is what Naga Queen told us. She said she would take revenge on Saturna, but it is not just for your Commander. It is also for anyone who ever loved her._

_And why are you telling me this Mavia? _Fennore panicked. _ All of a sudden, you care what happens to me?_

Mavia cocked her head to the side and gave him a pained look. Fennore did not realize that it was empathy until she took another amazing risk in Illidan's presence and hugged him.

_This all happened too fast Mavia. _Fennore broke down and held her too._ Saturna was supposed to run off with Kael'thas, be foolish with him not… not be killed by Illidan!_

_We haven't much time, Fennore. Caught up in my spell, you cannot see what is going on around you, but I know that I have incurred my Lord's wrath. Listen to me, Immortal One. You and your friends are good men. I am a smarter demoness than most, one of Illidan's officers. Not all of us in his service are monsters, simply because we are Demons. I admired your struggle to serve and protect your Prince, even when Kael'thas was cruel to his men. The three of you are silly, you especially, are the most pathetic, _She chanced a smile, _but deep down, the three of you are very kind. You are not evil, as Illidan will want all of the Black Temple to believe if you choose wrong. Your loyalty is to be commended. Your sacrifice should not be defiled so… I want you to live if you can. Please make the right choice. _

_I couldn't resurrect Saturna even if I wanted to._

_Yes you could. You could use your spell on her and see it fail. You would stand here, helpless while Illidan orders the others and myself to converge on you at once and rip you limb from limb. But before that, you would watch me fight the others off so that I could intervene and kill you fast, a mercy. Immediately after, Lord Illidan would give the order to the Fel Orcs outside of your room, and they would fall upon your friends and kill them moments after you are slain here. Is that what you in the Horde call… dying with honor? To prove a point? And what would happen to your precious Prince? He would be back where he was when you all started. He could take up the arcane crystals again or worse…You see how Illidan treated the woman of his friend. Now Kael'thas, alone, will most certainly fare worse._

Mavia gave him one last fierce squeeze and backed away. _I don't want to kill you, Fennore the Immortal…_

The rest of the dark room again came into focus. Illidan bared his teeth in a nearly audible growl. Even that looked painful for him. He looked from Fennore to Mavia impatiently.

Fennore looked up at the ruined ceiling and blinked back tears. He understood now that this was his test. He knew what he wanted to do. What did his life mean, besides being a Bloodknight? He'd put everything of himself into that oath. Up until now, he firmly believed that he was doing the right thing. And if he died, even if he condemned his friends, at least he would not be serving Illidan wholly and completely. Nor would he or any of them have to betray Saturna. This was a good time to give up, and as the Orcs said, die with Honor, rather than be enslaved to a Demon. But then again, there was his Prince. Would Fennore choose now to give his life to Kael'thas, when the man had already proven so unworthy?

However, Fennore also understood what a Nexite would do. It only just occurred to him, the point of this test, why it was necessary and why it could not be offered again. Not just because Saturna had known that she was going to die, but because the choice between life and death was so precious. One was lucky to have power over life and death at all, to be able to make that decision even once. Once was more than generous.

Yet at the same time, Fennore also realized the other extreme, a truth so painful he feared even to think it: wielding such power, the power to heal and restore life was also a curse. Here he was, an imperfect man making the decision about the value of someone else's life. He would never be worthy enough to judge, and because others knew this they would hate him for doing it. Sunthraze and Pyorin could hate him for either condemning them or condemning Saturna, and it would not be fair. Knowing this now, Fennore could not bear to ever use his mastery of the Light for selfish reasons again. It made him sick to even consider doing to someone else what he was about to do to his beloved friends, and this was only a selfless act.

Fennore both hated Saturna for putting him in this situation, and felt grateful to her for teaching him this painful lesson now, before he got carried away one day and used his power to do something stupid like… impress a woman. Fennore felt Mavia's eyes on him, and recalled that he'd foolishly done it already. He could have died from showing off like that at Lady Vashj's afterparty months ago, and then where would he be today? Who would stand before Saturna's broken body and fight for her honor then?

Fennore lifted his hands and conjured the yellow Light magic. He looked at Saturna's corpse the entire time.

"I'm so sorry Commander." He said, and stepped over Saturna at the last moment. Then, he released the powerful healing spell on Illidan Stormrage. The light filled up the Demon Lord, the wound began to close. Angry, but resolute, Fennore conjured another flash of Light, and then another. At last, Illidan stood and roared victoriously.

"Fennore the Immortal."

"Yes, Master Illidan." Fennore knelt. "I hope that you will accept this humble display of loyalty, on behalf of myself and my brothers."

Yes, for now they truly were brothers.

Illidan arced an eyebrow. "Do you really think I'm going to believe that you can't get rid of this burn mark she left? I'm not an idiot, Bloodknight Fennore."

Fennore bowed his head. "My Lord, I did my best. I swear. In life… Saturna was even stronger than I was. And her White Blade spell, more powerful than the three of us put together…"

"Get up and go, Fennore." Illidan waved him off. "You've proven your usefulness. You and your friends have been spared."

It was hard to leave. But a sort of calm came over Fennore. Saturna had told him to obey Illidan. She knew why it would be necessary, she knew what was at stake. She never stopped caring for him or the others, and now he'd enabled her to protect them after she was gone. It was what she would have wanted.

"Good bye, Mother Whiteblade." Fennore whispered to her when he passed Saturna's corpse. He didn't dare look back, not when Illidan was watching.

Immediately after Fennore departed, Illidan frowned at Mavia. "You possessed his mind briefly, Maneater. Did he leave this burn mark on my chest on purpose?"

Mavia smiled up at Illidan, flicked her whip around. "Why no, Master. Fennore the Immortal is not capable of deception."

"Ah, I see. Just like yourself." Illidan grunted and sat back down on his throne. "Well, I'm whole again and he can't take back the damned spell. The lot of you, get out of my sight! I don't need you to watch over me anymore, and I wish to be alone."

Mavia shouted a malevolent order at Illidan's harem women and the other officers. Then, she lashed her whip around in the air overhead. It howled low, ominous, eerily triumphant. Finally, she cracked it loud enough to echo off of every black wall and ruined rock in the place. In that moment, when pain and sound were one, she and the other Demons all desummoned, faded back into the Nether realm together. Illidan had not said as much, but the succubus officer sensed absolute isolation was what their master wanted. Mavia the Maneater was always very good at getting Illidan's minions to do exactly as he pleased. Keeping them alive and out of her Master's way, that was Mavia's talent. Fennore was lucky to have, despite his strangeness, befriended her.

Illidan smoothed a finger over his bright scar and glared down at Saturna's corpse at the foot of his throne. "Now I can't ever forget you. Even in death, Saturna Whiteblade, you're charming as ever."

Then Illidan reached through his Soul Link with Kael'thas.

_A faint mortal heartbeat, fading…_

_No, my brother. _Illidan forced his Demon magic through their renewed link. Kael'thas' pulse grew steadily stronger, then even.

Illidan waited to see if his friend would give up, if his desire to live would wane again.

_You see, Kael'thas, that is not even your choice. Not anymore. Dream of her dying, dream of her living… it doesn't matter. She will not come and kiss you awake. It is not for another person, not even a Bloodknight, to save your soul._

_We are the only ones who can save ourselves, Kael'thas. That is why I have made you and I one man, with one destiny. Now we will survive…_

Illidan fully believed that, thus united with his brother, he could never be betrayed again. However, the painful truth came involuntary, unbidden through their Soul Link even as Kael'thas slept…

_But Illidan, I am not your brother._


	29. Legacy of the Whiteblade, Part IV

**My Life for My Prince**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Legacy of the White Blade, Part IV**

**Brave enough to go home**

When Kael'thas woke up and Saturna was not there, he sensed that something was wrong. However, he wasn't sure what that was. It made his pulse race, it made him want to get up and rush somewhere, but where? And why? Away from the Black Temple…

_Good morning, brother._

Kael'thas put a hand on his forehead and sighed with frustration. He did not want to talk to Illidan right now.

_What's wrong, Kael'thas? Surprised that you can't just stifle our link anymore? No, you can't silence me at all now, brother._

Kael'thas reached within, put his mental effort towards pushing the Demon Lord aside. Was it because he was injured? Kael'thas felt sore all over. He tried to sit up, but the skin at the back of his neck burned. Instinctively, his hand went to comfort it, but trying to touch it made the feeling worse. The skin felt raw. It throbbed, felt like it was bleeding, but when he looked at his palm, it was clean and dry.

_Illidan… do you feel that? What happened?_

_Yes, I do feel it. That is something Lady Vashj failed to warn me about, that through our new link I would feel the collar you wear._

_Collar? No, our Soul Link is fluctuating again, though you should have transformed… this hurts like hell, I can't even think straight. _

Kael'thas called for a healer. His voice echoed in the Golden Shrine. No one came.

Illidan said, _You should calm down Kael'thas. Everything is fine now._

_Where is Saturna? Is she still gone, is she with you?_

Kael'thas felt Illidan smiling and misunderstood his friend's joy. _No…no, Saturna and I talked, I remember that now. You can tell how well it went, can't you Illidan? I proposed to her. She said yes. And you already know that we're having a son, Illidan. A boy named Belorim. _Then he griamced, _Is there nothing to be done about this scar… how did I even get hurt like this?_

_You were attacked, and killed._

Kael'thas paused. He was beginning to remember…

Illidan deftly filled in for him. _We were ambushed, betrayed. Lady Vashj worked quickly to save you. The collar around your neck is keeping you together. _

_Yes, yes I remember being caught off guard. _Kael'thas scowled and was painfully reminded just how muscles in the face move the jaw which then cause the neck to tense. Kael'thas realized that smiling for him might hurt even worse now. _Well, it will heal in time I suppose. And it's not like this is the first time some fool tried to come after me. Since I've been in Outland, the Alliance, the Horde, the Scryers... everyone's got a score to settle. Did you catch the bastard who did it Illidan? No, of course you did. Why would I even ask Illidan Stormrage, the Lord of Outland if he caught his friend's assassin? _

_Like a mouse in my shadow._

Kael'thas gasped in pain again. _Who was it… but first, I think you'd better tell me when this thing is going to heal. I can't take another moment not knowing when this agony will end. Hmm… Saturna may love it though. She would make it into something nice, wouldn't she? I bet she'll try and nurse me back to health. _Kael'thas smiled alone in the pale morning light. _That woman is altogether perfect for me Illidan, have I ever told you that? Even her little quirks are a great comfort. Well, I've gone off on a tangent about Saturna again, haven't I? Sorry about that._

_No, you aren't sorry. You never were, but that doesn't matter anymore Kael'thas. You won't be bragging very much in the future. _

Kael'thas was sure it was a threat, somehow…

_Come to me, Kael'thas. I have Saturna._

_What about the collar?_

_I will explain that to you as well…if Lady Vashj hasn't already._

Kael'thas got up to dress. Throwing the covers off was somehow worse than frowning. If Kael'thas moved his hands, then he also moved his arms and shoulders, and that tightened the skin on his neck. And there was a worse feeling, that Illidan was standing right there watching him and that he liked seeing his friend suffer this way.

Kael'thas was able to stand at last. He leaned on the delicate gold bedside table for support and touched something that had never been there before.

It was Lady Vashj's mirror.

Kael'thas had no idea what it was doing there, but it was convenient. He needed to see this injury. It could not possibly look as bad as it felt, but he also sort of worried that if Saturna didn't like it…

Kael'thas saw the runes on his neck, dropped the mirror, and noticed the condition his room was in all at once.

Vile Naga magic… burned into his flesh, painted on the walls of the Golden Shrine… in blood, so much blood. They were words, he knew… violent words, curses, hexes, disgusting… cruel, scathing language… Kael'thas could not read Naga very well. It was the one sort of magic he hadn't educated himself about yet, because Lady Vashj would have offered to be his teacher, and he didn't want to give her an excuse…

To get close to him, and ruin him.

_Are you alright, Kael'thas? You've been quiet._

Horrified, he thought aloud to himself, "I recognize one word among all the rest…"

Along the opposite wall, directly before his bed was a jagged symbol with lines stabbing through each other. The word seemed to murder itself, the blood it had been painted with must have dripped onto the other sections before the vile masterwork could dry. The gruesome Naga scrawlings reached high up near to the ruined dome. It would have taken hours to do all this work.

"Slave."

_Illidan, what have you done to me!_

_Nothing that you didn't deserve. Come see me and I will explain everything to you--_

_I don't want your explanations! _Then aloud, "Guards!"

The double doors opened and several grinning Naga in jagged dark plate slithered in carrying tritons.

Kael'thas was shocked to see them, and immediately went on the defensive. He conjured fire...

_No, my pet. Don't attack your own guards. The Naga agreed to watch over you, until Lady Vashj's work was done._

_Where are the Sunfury? My Bloodknights? Where is Saturna? What in the hell is going on here!_

_No more answers. I've already told you what to do. In fact… why should I tell you? _The voice in his head turned spiteful. _I will make you._

Against his will, Kael'thas was forced to put one foot in front of the other. The Naga grinned with all their sharp teeth and laughed at him. Illidan prevented Kael'thas from attacking them, from punishing them for coming into his room and painting such vile things on the walls, and now mocking the Prince's condition still further. Kael'thas realized that he must have been recovering from whatever Lady Vashj had done to his neck days… and her guards were allowed to fully indulge in the task of watching over the man their Queen hated. They killed swine and decorated the walls with their bloodied innards, turned his men away, they did everything but abuse him, because Illidan would never stand for that.

But for some reason these days, Illidan _could_ stand to have Lady Vashj put a collar around his friend's neck.

Once in the Blackened Shrine, Illidan made Kael'thas bow to him, and then stay on his knees. All without leaving the crumbling throne.

"Now, brother, you may speak."

"Illidan! What have you done! If you think that you can just betray me like this, then you're wrong. I won't stand for it!"

"Yes, you may stand as well." He laughed at him, "Now that you've sworn not to."

Kael'thas hated to kneel in Illidan's presence, not when they were supposed to be friends, pulling equal weight in Outland together. But now he was only standing because Illidan had given him permission to do so.

"I demand to know what is going on."

Illidan lowered his eyes, unhappy. "Come and see for yourself."

It felt like a trap. So many things with Illidan felt like a snarling monster was waiting at the other end of an offer, or that the floor would prove false and he'd fall hundreds of feet to his death… that is what it always felt like to trust Illidan Stormrage. Kael'thas never let himself forget how dangerous Illidan was, but all these years he needed the Demon Lord's power to survive. It was a risk Kael'thas felt he had to take.

Kael'thas carefully walked around the pile of rubble in the middle of the floor. He wondered how it got there, then looked up at the caved in ceiling. What in the world could have made it collapse like that, and why hadn't Illidan fixed it?

"Be careful, or else you will step on my newest trophy."

Kael'thas looked down at his feet, and there Saturna was.

He had no words. He had no thoughts. Eyes wide, hands shaking, Kael'thas knelt down and held her. Her corpse was stiff, too much time had passed…

"You wanted to know where your woman was. She is at my feet. You wanted to know who killed you. She is also at my feet. You wanted to know what I have done. I have murdered the woman who murdered my brother. An eye for an eye… now you are safe."

"No…" Kael'thas sat on the floor and rocked Saturna back and forth. He kissed her cheek and wept.

Illidan was ready for a fight, he stood... but then seeing his brother like that, so hurt and vulnerable, made Illidan feel something that he did not expect.

The Demon Lord barely breathed, "I'm… sorry."

Kael'thas held Saturna tighter. The lifeless head tilted back and her pale blonde hair graced the floor. She could not hold him back. Never again.

"How could you do this to me?"

Illidan had planned everything, even what to say to Kael'thas in this moment, how to handle him. But all Illidan wanted to do now was to hold his friend and comfort him. But because Illidan was part of the problem—now he understood this—that was impossible.

There was a long horrible silence between the two men.

Illidan sat on the floor with Kael'thas. "I… I didn't mean to."

Kael'thas had stopped looking at him, stopped crying. He stared straight ahead at the far wall. "I remember everything now. And yes, Illidan, I think you did."

Kael'thas gently lay Saturna's body back down and stood. Illidan followed suit. As always, Illidan was taller than Kael'thas, stronger than him. And, Kael'thas seemed to see at last, Illidan had outsmarted him, had been lying to him this entire time.

"When did you become a full Demon?" Kael'thas demanded.

"The night of the ball, when you were so busy chasing after that—"

Kael'thas shoved Illidan, hard. "Don't you call her a name! Don't you say anything against her!"

Illidan crouched and snarled at him. "So it's come to this, has it?"

"It's always been like _this_." Kael'thas sneered. "We've always been on the verge of this, of killing each other! And now I wonder, what ever stopped me from doing it before? I saw you for what you were long ago… but I looked the other way. I showed you compassion because I realized that of all people I am not one to judge."

"But yet, you judge now."

"Yes! I judge you now. You have done the one thing I would never do, that I could never do… and let her lay there and die, prevented anyone from resurrecting her when all she did was get angry with me and lose her temper. She drew a sword on me and you unleashed the furor of Gul'dan on her. Who draws a rifle on a friend when he only raises a stone… Illidan I hate you. I hate you so very much..."

Illidan began to smile. "No you don't or else I'd be dead by now—"

Kael'thas lunged at him then. Illidan was caught by surprise and stumbled backward. Illidan roared at his friend, tried to get his hands on Kael'thas to wrestle him away. Kael'thas didn't have a weapon, and was near to being completely overpowered. But at the last moment, the warlock surprised the Demon. Kael'thas savagely met Illidan's snarl with his own and sank his teeth into the monster's neck, tore at the jugular vein.

If not for the color around his neck…

Illidan made Kael'thas let go, forced his pet to stop killing him and walk away. Then, not able to bear seeing his beloved warlock, the man he would have as a brother, and a friend, was just as bloodthirsty as he was, Illidan made Kael'thas turn his back. Illidan panted and shuddered, while he willed the horrid truth away. Kael'thas had never been fit to save him. So savage, worse than an animal, worse than him...

Hand on the wounded neck that was already healing with the speed of Demon magic, Illidan said, "No, I don't think that I am going to let you out of my sight."

Back to him, Kael'thas replied, "You will have to. I am not your slave."

"Are you not? Kael'thas, do you know why you still live? Right now, you are breathing _my_ air, living the life I've given you, out of mercy. You know very well that I don't tolerate that kind of betrayal from my officers. To turn to the Burning Legion! And now to attack me like that, like one Demon challenging another… but you are a mortal man, Kael'thas. What is wrong with you!"

Kael'thas glared at Illidan. "I thought you knew... I am your brother. Isn't that your mad fantasy? To have your brother so close to you, to play with you, to fight you? Well if it's a fight you want, Illidan–"

Illidan cringed and pointed. "Go back to the Golden Shrine Kael'thas, and never speak of this to anyone! Really, I should have you executed for turning on me like this."

Kael'thas boldly went and picked up Saturna's body instead.

Illidan lifted a claw into the air and made him freeze. "No… she belongs to me, Kael'thas."

Mouth stained red, the Blood Elf Prince struggled against the constricting magic, and painfully embraced the corpse of the woman he loved.

"I look the monster I feel, don't I Illidan?" Kael'thas trembled with the effort of defying his new master. His voice came out ragged, lost. "The man damned by fate, who didn't deserve her." Then desperately, "Please… I must mourn her. Give me that at least."

Illidan dropped his arm and watched his friend go. "Do what you must… but you can't resurrect her, Kael'thas. No one can, it's too late for her, and you're better off. Just accept it. She tried to assassinate you, Saturna was bad for you and she murdered you! And after I warned you Kael'thas! I told you not to put that woman before me again, I even told you there would not be a third warning." Then he started yelling. "I told you everything! I trusted you and you lied to me, you ABANDONED me! I begged you to enslave me, I begged you! This is your fault, all of it!"

Kael'thas stopped at the door, the edge of his red and gold robes caught the morning light. Illidan startled that he could not see his friend's face because he stood in half shadows. The lifeless body of Saturna Whiteblade, however, leaned out into the light.

"Don't you DARE! You are a murderer, Illidan, and I am a murderer! This falls on both of us because we got so angry with her and forgot ourselves!"

"I saved your life. You should be thanking _me_!"

"You can't be serious? You _ended_ my life by taking her away and putting this collar on my neck. Just as surely as you ended hers, when Saturna decided that she… hated me, and turned against me. How could you save me and not save her? The mother of my child, and my son…"

Illidan brooded, "What is done is done Kael'thas. You cannot save her."

"Yes I can. I can put her to rest, with dignity. I can protect her in death at least, from you." then he left.

Later that day, the Naga guards saw Kael'thas returning with Saturna's body and would not let him re-enter the Golden Shrine.

"Prince Kael'thasss, you are a ssslave. You cannot have the trophy of Lord Illidan." One of them raised a triton.

Kael'thas raised his voice. "Perhaps I am confined here to this temple, but I will at least live according to my own will. Bring me your witch-queen and I'll tell her that myself!"

"A man ssslave wearing a collar, that is what you are. And dare you to insssult our Lady—"

Illidan took over Kael'thas voice then. "Out of his way, leeches! Or I shall send you back to Underbog to join the cowardess you worship."

Kael'thas recovered quickly from the shock of Illidan usurping his voice after hearing the news.

_Of course she would betray me and flee… just as she did when I had to deal with the Alliance. And now, Illidan, I am walking into another magical prison. The people I once believed to be my friends are once more my jailors._

It was the truth and Illidan couldn't deny it, so he did not answer his friend. The Naga moved aside and let Kael'thas carry his dead fiancée into the Golden Shrine, where he was to remain, it seemed, for all time.

_Many desolate days later..._

Illidan ordered that no one, especially none of his Blood Elves visit Kael'thas. That left Kael'thas alone in the Golden Shrine with only the Demon in his heart to talk to. But after a time, Illidan even found it difficult to communicate with Kael'thas. The brilliant Bloodmage eventually found that if he felt nothing, Illidan could sense nothing from him through the collar. It was much like their old soul link, through which only strong feeling, not thoughts could pass through.

Feeling nothing at all was in itself was difficult to keep up, when Kael'thas was so sad. But then, Kael'thas further discovered that his sadness was another advantage he had over Illidan. Kael'thas could sense that his Demon master secretly felt guilty about what he'd done to Saturna and their son Belorim. In his mental state, Kael'thas enjoyed manipulating that one vulnerability his friend showed. Kael'thas decided to feel horrible about the loss all the time, just to spite Illidan. Eventually, it seemed Illidan could stand the pain no longer and it felt like he turned his intense gaze away from their link.

That was a tiny victory... but still Kael'thas felt like he was betraying Saturna. Using his grief for Saturna just to get back at Illidan made Kael'thas feel even worse. And so, Kael'thas grew to hate himself for what he did to Saturna in life and now to her memory in death.

And then at last Kael'thas realized that loving the late Saturna Whiteblade was not even an option. He wanted to comfort her somehow, though he knew it was too late, and this made Kael'thas feel helpless. There was no other place for her, so Kael'thas had lain Saturna in the bed and tucked her in. At times, and then too often, Kael'thas watched Saturna, spoke to her. Kael'thas began to lose track of the days... he became sick of himself for obsessing over a corpse, and for not being able to think of anything else except that it was his fault Saturna was this way.

Illidan noticed this and came back into Kael'thas' life. He ordered him to visit the Blackened Shrine many times, so that they could 'mourn as brothers', Illidan said. Of course it was impossible to heal from such a loss with his fiancee's murderer. That made them two murderers together, accomplices trying to honor Saturna's memory. It was impossible. And on one evening, when Kael'thas returned to the Golden Shrine after spending the day lingering in Illidan's shadow, he was seized with a morbid sense of déjà vu.

Here Saturna lay at his feet in the bed, just as she had lain before Illidan's throne. Only Illidan had called her corpse a trophy. Kael'thas realized he was also treating Saturna like an object, a memento. That wasn't right holding onto her like this, when nothing could be done. It wasn't helping either of them.

But Kael'thas could not think of what to do. It was hard to think at all, for all the pain. He just wanted to give up.

It seemed that the Sunfury had the answer their Prince desperately needed. No doubt there was a rumor in the Black Temple that Kael'thas was doing poorly after Saturna's death. Illidan was clearly trying to help him, but rare passerby could tell that Kael'thas would come and go into the Blackened Temple dejected, same as always. Against Illidan's wishes, the sin'dorei found a way to rally behind their Prince.

Sunfury undertakers came to the doors of the Golden Shrine. They spoke loudly enough for their Prince to hear from beyond the doors. 'It was time to let go of the past,' they said. 'The Prince must receive them, so that he could heal,' they said. 'Saturna Whiteblade must rest in peace for them all,' they insisted each time they were turned away. The Naga guards that Lady Vashj left behind to torture Kael'thas at last became annoyed by the selflessly loyal Sunfury when they realized what was going on. When the carpenters came with the freshly crafted casket, the Naga laughed and smashed it to pieces with their tritons. Embalmers had their potions destroyed. Grave diggers were attacked, forced to duel the heartless guards with their shovels.

There was nothing to be done about it but to come again and again with their costly supplies and hope to be admitted into the Golden Shrine. Kael'thas heard what his men were saying and began to believe. Burying Saturna was the only way to let her go. Even if she was all he had left, of his old life. The life that had been dangerous, yes, but also silly, joyous... but Kael'thas could only wait on the other side of those doors and hope that either the Naga would grow tired of their game, or that Illidan would get angry with his bully guards. The problem was, Illildan, with his twisted sense of humor and new alliance with his Second Commander Lady Vashj, seemed to enjoy the joke as well.

But there was hope in that. Kael'thas realized that his soldiers were still very loyal to him after this tragedy, to keep coming to the Golden Shrine like that. His soldiers were free, and General Blaize was leading them. Only his Blaize could motivate the Sunfury to throw themselves against such nigh impossible defenses time and again. And it was a good strategy, a brilliant one. Blaize had been waiting for his Prince all this time. They had not defected to the Shatar with the Scryers after hearing about Saturna's death. They had not gone back to Tempest Keep the way that Lady Vashj and the majority of her Naga had left Illidan for Underbog. The Sunfury had stayed behind because they were waiting for the order. That meant that they either didn't know what part he had in Saturna's death or believed in their Prince, despite that failing... the second case, of course, was probably very unlikely. Whatever it meant, Kael'thas felt hope for the first time in a long time. The Sunfury and his General were still with him, ready for the imminent order... In accepting Saturna's fate, Kael'thas had finally allowed himself to see exactly what it was.

But he would do one better than that... Blaize only knew so much, but Kael'thas understood his link with Illidan completely now. Feeling once again like the Prince of Quel'thalas, Kael'thas secretly formed a plan...

One day, when Illidan gave Kael'thas permission to leave the Golden Shrine and come visit, Kael'thas stopped just a few feet before the guards in the hallway. Then, very calmly so that he would betray no emotion for Illidan to sense, the Blood Elf Prince raised his arms and conjured fire. The Naga guards had grown so arrogant they simply sat there and watched him do it. Maybe they thought that Lord Illidan would intervene?

Kael'thas smiled casually and then unleashed a fireball and killed one of the guards. He knew it was monstrous, to attack his own allies, but didn't want to care. Kael'thas wanted blood for blood. The Naga screeched up an alarm, but Kael'thas kept grinning evilly and killed another one. Reinforcements arrived to find the Blood Elf Prince standing over four burned bodies of their kinsmen. As they reeled from the quiet insurrection in their Master's army, Kael'thas lifted a finger and beckoned them closer. They knew better and attempted to slither away in the other direction...

Kael'thas unleashed a wave of fire that was so hot it turned blue and incinerated half of that force. The Naga hastily reassembled, but the voice of General Blaize raised up above the hissing commands. As Kael'thas guessed, the Sunfury had been watching and waiting. Sin'dorei shouting loyalty to their Prince fell on the Naga and started tearing them to pieces.

Kael'thas tossed his head back in sick laughter at the war he started all by himself, on behalf of the fallen Saturna Whiteblade.

By then, Illidan had heard it too. To Kael'thas, it felt like his friend yanked hard on the collar when Illidan forced one foot in front of the other, ran him into the thick of the battle…

"Hold! Pull back!" General Blaize was forced to shout. Then, to Kael'thas, "My Prince, what are you doing?!"

Illidan spoke through him. "Continue fighting each other and your Prince dies."

Blaize flinched and gave the command. The Naga had heard Illidan's displeasure and fell back too.

Kael'thas hated Illidan for it, shouted profanities at him. But Illidan had more than proven his point and said nothing more. There was no fighting it, no running from this enslavement. Kael'thas saw how he was stuck, absolutely.

But, yet, Kael'thas felt that Saturna's memory had given him another small victory. This was just the beginning...

Kael'thas took a shot at the Naga as they departed, "I am Prince of Quel'thalas! I will have Sunfury watch over _my_ shrine. Set foot on this threshold again, and I will boil you all alive in what's left of the Lagoon!"

To the hisses that erupted, another voice retorted, "Yeah Kael'thas, let's have a fish fry tonight! I'm tired of the disgusting Demon food we have to eat here in the Black Temple anyways."

For the first time in weeks, Kael'thas found himself laughing.

General Blaize knew why and groaned. "My Prince, I beg you to get these men out of my army—"

"Nope, I'm afraid you're stuck with us," Sunthraze said again as he came through the crowd of Blood Elf soldiers with Pyorin and Fennore. They were wearing red Sunfury armor these days.

The three Bloodknights lined up and saluted Kael'thas, who'd found a reason to smile. "You three are still here? After… well, I assumed that you fled."

General Blaize flew into a string of grievances then. The Bloodknights never listened to his orders, they encouraged dissent among the Sunfury—Pyorin put in that rushing to their Prince's aid without his tacit assent was just a technicality and not insubordination, so why should they be punished for trying it a couple times while Blaize was afraid to do anything against Illidan or the Naga—Blaize became very annoyed then and began speaking loudly over the three of them. In turn, Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze continued to thwart his complaints about the state of the Sunfury army over the last few weeks at every possible turn.

Of course, seeing them fight with Blaize like that only endeared the Bloodknights to Kael'thas. He told Blaize to leave Sunfury guards at his door in place of the Naga... he didn't have the heart to tell his own General exactly why they couldn't go back to Tempest Keep. Blaize sighed and dimissed the army for the time being.

As the Sunfury departed Pyorin confided, "Illidan had us under guard. Of course we were the first suspects to Saturna's…" he couldn't say the rest. "We wanted to make sure you were safe, My Prince, after she clearly fought so hard for that. Eventhough we didn't understand why... we wanted to honor her last wishes. Nor did we want to leave Saturna in Illidan's lair like... like one of his trophies."

Kael'thas averted his eyes briefly, ashamed. He had not been so different from Illidan, to waste precious weeks of his life indulging in the tragic loss and his own regret until recently.

Instead of explaining why it took so long to pull himself together and call the Sunfury for support, Kael'thas changed the subject. He gently offered, "Would you like to see her?" and opened the doors of the Golden Shrine for the three Bloodknights.

Kael'thas had laid wooden planks across the hole in the floor where the gold starburst mosaic used to be, and placed red cloth from the bed over that. It was all he had, clearly a humble effort to honor Saturna while trapped within Illidan's cage.

"I have a collar around my neck…" it was too hard to explain, and Kael'thas didn't want to either, "Just know that Illidan can hear everything that I feel as if he were seeing it play out in his own mind." Then Kael'thas stood on the corrupted lei line near Saturna's body and intimated, "But I discovered a few days ago that this helps scatter my thoughts and feelings whenever I can't stifle them. I come to this spot to mourn her… when I need to be alone."

They nodded that they understood. Each man took off his helmet and knelt. For a long time it was silent. Fennore had more time to deal with the loss than his friends, and he had a chance to say good bye to Saturna. The healer watched Pyorin and Sunthraze carefully. Sunthraze covered his face with a hand. Pyorin reached over and got a firm hold of Sunthraze's shoulder, but then the big tank broke down and wept too. Fennore recalled his priest training and started to recite words of comfort. He spoke about the power of Light magic and the beauty of life. Kael'thas drifted near and listened.

After a reverent silence, Fennore looked up at their Prince and asked, "Kael'thas… do you know what happened? What really happened to Saturna?"

Pyorin and Sunthraze gave Fennore angry looks. Sunthraze said, "Not that we're ungrateful, Fennore the _Immortal_, but we skirted a death sentence once because of you. Don't put us back up on the chopping block again."

"And he can hear us." Pyorin meant Illidan but was afraid to say it. Kael'thas could tell.

"No, it's safe now that we're standing on the lei line, like I explained." Kael'thas reassured them. He looked down to make sure he was standing as close to the golden mosaic as possible. "And what are you talking about… Illidan tried to have you all executed?"

"Not officially, no." Fennore said. "I was the first of many to, let's say, go on trial. I came back alive because I gave Illidan what he wanted. He spared Pyorin and Sunthraze too because of it. But since Saturna's death, there were many others who went into Illidan's lair and never came back out, because they got too curious. Those were the lucky ones. A few who started to disagree with the rumors Illidan and Lady Vashj put around simply disappeared in the middle of the night."

Sunthraze added, "Though, once people stopped asking questions, Lady Vashj couldn't get out of this place fast enough. I should know, she tried to take me with her."

Kael'thas stared at him.

"She offered me Shuru'kaal, Kael'thas. That woman really hasn't got any new tricks, has she? And I suppose it's all my fault, for believing what I wanted about her. She treats all her men the same… like shit."

Kael'thas shook his head, disturbed. "Back on the topic of Illidan… I guess I shouldn't really be surprised, not after what he did to her." it was hard to say Saturna's name out loud now. She was gone. "But executing my own soldiers, for wanting to think for themselves? That is unforgivable."

Pyorin nodded. "When you were around, Illidan never told his Demons to do anything like that, go and snatch people up for speaking against him. It's been better since you woke up two weeks ago, but that doesn't matter really. We're all afraid to say what we really think now."

"And… what do you think?" Kael'thas asked quietly.

Sunthraze said, "Kael'thas, maybe Saturna fangirled over you to the point of obsession, but there is just no way she would kill you out of anger."

"I think the opposite." Kael'thas admitted. "She wanted me to take her and the baby back home to Silvermoon. We were arguing over that before she died. Saturna was so angry with me, and as usual, I was being an ass."

It wasn't funny, so they didn't laugh at Kael'thas putting himself down.

"I wasn't there for her. I went back to Tempest Keep to take care of something… that I should not have been doing in the first place. Then she and Illidan started spending time together." Kael'thas waited a long time, then confessed, "I don't blame her, not the way I was acting… and she's gone now. How could I be angry with her about it now? Saturna turned to Illidan and not me… they slept together."

The guys began to object immediately.

"She told me herself that it happened. Illidan confirmed it. So you see, you're wrong. Saturna grew to hate me in the end, and maybe she was right to. On the day she died, all three of us were arguing in the Blackened Shrine: Illidan, Saturna, and myself. I took her ring back," and now Kael'thas played with the ring he'd returned to Saturna's wedding finger, "I was being cruel to her, cruel to our son… and she attacked me."

Pyorin spoke up, "And Illidan just watched her do it? That doesn't make any sense."

"He must have been surprised. I didn't even see it coming… No, it wasn't like that. Illidan attacked her after she killed me, and so killed Saturna."

"Are you defending him!" Sunthraze accused.

Kael'thas blinked. "No, of course not! Both of us… I'm so sorry, but both of us are to blame. I pushed her too far, and then Illidan responded almost as if he were my Demon pet."

"You _are_ defending him, Kael'thas!" Sunthraze insisted. "Don't sit there and try to rationalize his behavior, do you know that's what you're doing, being all scholarly about it? And you sound just like Lady Vashj and her Naga, just like Illidan's Demon officers, everyone saying exactly what Illidan wants them to think."

Pyorin said, "We were her friends, that is how we know Illidan is lying. But Kael'thas, you were in love with her. Have you no faith in that?"

Fennore added, "And there's something else too… the others and I are only alive now because Illidan tested me. Kael'thas, I think you should know how Illidan tried to figure out whether or not we all had something to do with it—"

"But you see, that he even had to test you, he had no clue—"

"Illidan fixed it so that no one could ever resurrect Saturna." He pointed to the rune on her neck. "Then, without telling me this, Illidan told me to try it."

Kael'thas bristled. "He… no…"

"Illidan played a game with Saturna's life because he feared that I would see the truth and refuse to heal him. And he needed it, Kael'thas, badly. Saturna came very near to killing him."

"You knew what Illidan did… and you healed him? You helped him to live?" Kael'thas' knuckles over the edge of the coffin went white.

Sunthraze blurt out, "After what you just confessed to us? Don't _you_ of all people go pointing fingers, Kael'thas! And you're trying to change the subject."

Kael'thas looked at the young Bloodknight angrily. Of course he was right but to come out and say it… that stung.

Fennore cleared his throat and tried again. "Kael'thas, I'm not done yet. I hope you don't jump to conclusions like these guys did. What I did for Saturna, I did out of love."

Kael'thas sneered at him. "Next, you'll be telling me that she ordered you to leave her there to die."

"Yes, she did."

"You must have a deathwish then." Kael'thas started to get up.

Fennore bravely stayed put. "Saturna was able to instruct me, hours before she died, because she already knew exactly what was going to happen. She guessed the time and manner of her own death—by Illidan's hand—because… well because she didn't need to guess. And how could it all be so clear for her, unless Illidan told her in the first place?"

Fennore looked Kael'thas in the eye. "Illidan set you up, my Prince. Now don't you—don't all of you—find that more believable than her attacking Kael'thas in some sort of psychotic fangirl rage, when he just happened not to be wearing his soulstone, succeeded at catching him totally unawares while Illidan sat back and watched?"

"That _does _make too much damned sense." Pyorin sat up.

Sunthraze was quiet. It was clear what he was beginning to think of his Prince.

Kael'thas smoothed hair out of his face, and stared down at the floor. "Fennore… thank you."

"My Prince?"

"Suddenly, I have a reason to wake up in the morning again."

Kael'thas explained to the Bloodknights about Saturna's strange behavior, that she pressured him to get his soulstone, how everything suddenly changed that night he was away at Tempest Keep, though Kael'thas knew better than to tell them exactly why he'd stolen over there in the first place. The four of them shared ideas and details until the full story became clear enough: Illidan and Lady Vashj had been planning this all along.

Kael'thas concluded, "Lady Vashj wanted to be Second in Command again, and Illidan wanted to punish me for refusing to enslave him… among other things. Saturna was their pawn, how could she stand up against the two of them? She couldn't… she did the very best that she could, she even tried to take me to the safety of Shatthrath City, I remember that. But it wasn't enough, not when we all already let her down."

"And they almost got away with it too." Pyorin cracked his knuckles.

"Revenge? Is that what you want?" Kael'thas wasn't asking. They didn't answer. "Do you know what happened to me when I tried to take revenge on Illidan? Do you think so little of me that you assume I didn't even attempt it?"

"We didn't say that—"

"Of course I did!" Kael'thas shouted. "Twice, I went up against him and failed pitfully. The first time I acted out of blind need and savagely attacked him. He just yanked on my collar and prevented me. The second time was today, and you saw how he threw me directly into the conflict. Illidan is not afraid of murder, I can assure of that. Both times, he used this collar to control me. It's why he put it there in the first place! There can't be a third time, boys. Illidan never gives a third warning. That is why I didn't see it coming, when he went after Saturna."

Any one of them, the Sunfury army, Tempest Keep, Quel'thalas could be next. There were countless more precious things that Kael'thas could still stand to lose if he angered Illidan again.

"Besides, revenge is a fool's game. I see that now because I've been playing at villainy here in Outland for too long."

"My Prince?" Pyorin voiced aloud the hope in their expressions.

Kael'thas stood. "You heard me. I've been thinking… somehow I need to get back to Tempest Keep."

All of them made suffering noises. Sunthraze flared at him, "Don't _do_ that! You almost made us think… oh, nevermind!"

Kael'thas couldn't help laughing. "No, I didn't mean to lead you on… actually, we do have to go there first too, you see. I want to honor Saturna's last wish even though it is incredibly dangerous to do. I still believe that returning to Silvermoon is reckless. However, when I first accepted that Saturna needed to be put to rest, it also occurred to me that Silvermoon City is the only place I could portal us that Illidan wouldn't guess immediately. I couldn't go to Tempest Keep, Illidan has felt me do that before and he would yank on this collar and prevent it before I even got started. And the same goes for any other place in Outland that we've been to together." Kael'thas touched fingers uncomfortably to the wound around his neck while the others winced in sympathy for him. Sunthraze didn't. "And then in Azeroth… Dalaran, Darnassus, Stormwind, Ironforge… I don't have friends in those places anymore and Illidan knows it. But Silvermoon City is the one place I've never returned to since I've come out here. If I go about it calmly, the way I attacked the Naga before he caught on—and that was a test by the way—then I can open a portal to Silvermoon safely. Once there, I can finally give Saturna the peace she deserves and then make a second portal to Tempest Keep." Kael'thas sneered, "And once there, gentlemen, we can do whatever needs to be done."

It was obvious that Sunthraze and Fennore didn't like the idea. Pyorin sensed that his fellow Nexites had the same qualm over a certain facet of it that he did. The tank gave his friends a warning look then stood with Kael'thas.

"Our lives, for our Prince." Pyorin answered vaguely on everyone's behalf.

"Good. Now, we've spent too much time on this lei line… Illidan is certainly looking for us to conspire together, let's not allow him to get wise."

Kael'thas walked a few paces away. "Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore, as friends of my beloved, I want to invite you to her funeral. However, before I can put Saturna to rest and we can finish our mourning, I am going to need your help making the arrangements."

The three Bloodknights saluted.

"I have undertakers among the Sunfury, embalmers, carpenters for the coffin… but Saturna was a Bloodknight first and foremost. There is one thing I don't have here at the Black Temple that I refuse for her to be buried without. Do you know, exactly, where Saturna's sword is?"

Pyorin grinned. "Yes, we do actually. While you were recovering my Prince, everyone here heard that a certain white sword was found at the gates of Shatthrath City and stolen inside. Our old friends seem to have taken pride in holding our Commander's weapon hostage in the Scryer's Library."

Sunthraze insisted, "And seeing as how Saturna lived her life by that sword, it wouldn't be a hero's burial at all if it wasn't returned to her."

Fennore took a step forward. "We can do it, Kael'thas. You can trust us to go get it and come back. Please."

Kael'thas folded his hands behind his back. "Yes, I trust you. Saturna meant so much to all of us. Alright then, leave the Black Temple and get it. Though I have to admit, the reason they're holding it in the first place is probably to spite me. They may be expecting you. Or, maybe it's even strategic. Perhaps want me to forget my senses, and go risk my neck again by going down there to just to prove a point." He sighed, "And I assure you, if not for certain stipulations, I would." Kael'thas gestured to the dark fel green Naga runes around his neck. "But maybe that is what the Scryers truly want, for me to at least try and then get into trouble with Illidan again and really die this time. We won't be doing that though. Gentlemen, I want you to meet their challenge to in my place."

Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze shared devious smiles. The first they'd shown in days.

Pyorin said, "Oh, don't worry, Kael'thas. We'll give them hell alright." They clapped a salute and went to the doors.

_Oh, I like this Kael'thas. It should be very entertaining. _

_You don't know the half of it._

At the doors, Sunthraze whispered, "We're doing this but then we're going to convince him to stay in Silvermoon, right? Cause there's no way in hell I'm going to—"

"And don't you _dare_ come back without that sword!" Kael'thas suddenly yelled at them while they hesitated. Sunthraze snapped his mouth shut. "I want it back, and I want them to burn for using Saturna's memory against me like this!"

"My Life for My Prince!" they shouted back just as aggressively.

It felt good. And being ordered around by Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider in full heat of monarchical passion, like he was in fact, the undisputed ruler of Quel'thalas satisfied Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze in a way that only a zealous Bloodknight hell-bent on revenge could possibly understand. Not even Kael'thas would be able to guess why they were so eager to do his will.

_Later that day…_

Voren'thal the Seer looked up from where he had been gazing at the sword other Scryers now referred to as the White Blade. The unfamiliar magic emanating from the blade completely obscured the features of the Corrupted Ashbringer. Everyone was sure it meant something but no one could decide on what.

Most people felt it was a sign that Kael'thas had at last been defeated. The Bloodknight Saturna Whiteblade, widely rumored to be his lover and champion brought him to the gates of Shatthrath City but failed to find sanctuary. Then Lord Illidan carried off the badly injured Prince. Aldor marksmen at the gates swore that they saw Kael'thas fall dangerously out of the saddle moments before and that he was limp when Illidan flew away with him. Others believed that the sword was the key to killing Kael'thas if he wasn't already dead. They had heard whispers of Voren'thal's final moments with the Prince's turncoat champion, that Saturna wanted to give the White Blade to Kael'thas. So, of course she would want Voren'thal and the other Scryers to have it, if it could be used against Kael'thas… and there were other such far-fetched theories.

But what did Voren'thal, the leader of the Scryers and the champion of the cause against Prince Kael'thas believe?

"I…" he thought aloud, "want to protect it. I can't explain why, but I feel sure that we should all watch over it… care for it."

No one even heard him say what could have been treasonous to the Shatar. Voren'thal moved away from the enchanted onlookers. A long line of visitors had formed since that morning. It trailed along the rounded walls of the second floor balcony then down the ramp to the main floor and out of the entrance.

The amount of people in the Scryer Library was amazing! Usually, it was so desolate and people were even yelling and shouting on the outside…

Voren'thal stopped walking and snapped to attention. "That noise… they aren't shouting to be let in—"

A guard yelled. "Hold! You three aren't Scryers!"

"For Kael'thas! For Saturna!" was the shouted response. Then, the ringing clash of weapons.

Voren'thal dragged clawed fingers down either side of his face. "Not more assassins!"

He peered over the side of the second floor balcony to see three Bloodknights in red armor charge through the line of people, bowling a great deal of them over. In their wake came Arcane Guardians, Shatar Guards, Draenei Skygards—a few of whom clearly hadn't time to dismount from their nether rays yet, and even some infuriated Aldor guards… Voren'thal decided he was not going to stick around and ask just how all these different people had been so agitated by the late Saturna's troublemaker friends.

Voren'thal was still reeling from his attempted assassination by Kael'thas' rogues earlier that year. And that was after living in fear for betraying his Prince, having recurring nightmares about it—why they involved a laughing Lady Vashj he still didn't understand—then ontop of that was the emasculating teasing from the Aldor. People even said that A'dal himself pulsed a little off-white with amusement at Voren'thal being taken down a notch after arrogantly demanding sanctuary from the leader of the city a few years earlier. Today, Voren'thal just couldn't stand the idea of being in trouble with Kael'thas again. Sure, as per procedure, he'd been resurrected after those rogues got him but it was the singular most horrifying experience of his life. And Voren'thal knew what it was like to serve in the Prince's army…

Downstairs, the big Bloodknight tank with the dark hair shouted for the youngest one to 'go upstairs and get it for the funeral.' Voren'thal remembered the second one's name. Sunthraze the Sly, whom they said he kissed a Draenei to death…

Rather than go warn the visitors upstairs, Voren'thal winced and discreetly locked himself inside of a closet.

Sunthraze the Sly jogged up the ramp to the second level of the Scryer's Library. He had his blackened spear at the ready but knew he wouldn't need it. Pyorin had just unleashed his powerful Light Taunt spell. Waves of other Blood Elves rushed past him, compelled to fight his good old friend the tank. Sunthraze thought he saw one person rush into a broom closet and instantly grabbed the locked doorknob thinking that Saturna's sword had been hidden away. But then Sunthraze noticed the white light—he knew it well—and that made him smile.

The dazzling sword had been set upright on a silver weapon rack. Sunthraze threw his spear down. Nothing else was important in the face of this last beautiful vestige of his friend and Commander Saturna Whiteblade. At first touch, it burned his hand. Thinking quickly, he conjured his Hand of Light spell and lifted it free with hands made of the same magic. Magic Brother Tank had taught him to use, magic that Mother Whiteblade had shown to Pyorin…

Once he had it, the young Bloodknight rushed back to his friends.

"It's white!" Fennore exclaimed. "But how can that be if Saturna is—"

Pyorin blocked expertly with his shield. "Hey knuckleheads! Get moving, I can't do this forever!"

Pyorin was right. Fennore was good, but even he couldn't be able to heal him through the deadly mob.

Sunthraze snatched Fennore's cape off—after a dirty look from their healer—and swaddled the sword in it so that he could sheathe it safely across his back. Then, the two men ran from the Scryer Library.

Once outside, Fennore and Sunthraze took one last look at their friend, around at the Scryer's Tier, and at Shatthrath City. What they had just done for Kael'thas was unforgivable. There was no mistaking what side of the war they were on now, not when Saturna had come this far and they followed in her footsteps only to slap the forgiving enemy in their faces.

The two Bloodknights whistled into the wind and black Netherdrakes soared down to each. Shatari guards on trumpeting elekks spooked and dashed out of the way. Fennore and Sunthraze mounted up, saluted Pyorin whom they could barely see back inside the building, and made haste back to Shadowmoon Valley in the southeast.

Beaten and bruised, Pyorin saw his two good friends leave and at last went down on both knees. There was absolutely no way out. It looked like he was giving up just like his Commander did a few weeks earlier.

A glistening gold Divine Protection spell made everyone groan in annoyance though. Safe inside the bubble of light, Pyorin fished his hearthstone out of his pocked at started use it.

At the end of the ten seconds it took him to conjure, the tank couldn't help flashing a wily grin.

"What else did you expect? Bloodknights can do it too." He laughed, then in a flash of blue light, disappeared.

_Back at the Black Temple…_

The three men strode back into the Golden Shrine that evening, wholly satisfied with themselves. Kael'thas wore a long black cloak with a hood and wordlessly gestured to Saturna's closed coffin. Three more cloaks waited there for them.

Pyorin lowered his eyes. "I really didn't expect to do this so soon…"

Fennore patted his friend on the shoulder and encouraged him to get dressed. Sunthraze had got his cloak on already. He unwrapped the top of bundle across his back so that Kael'thas could see that they'd done well.

Kael'thas grinned a little. "Did you make Voren'thal cry? I hear he was resurrected the last time my men got loose on the Scryer's Tier, and that it didn't sit well with him."

Sunthraze screwed up his face. "I'm not sure, but I think he ran and locked himself in a closet."

Kael'thas stopped smiling and started conjuring. "That's… sad actually." The others awkwardly agreed.

Through the pane of blue magic, one could see the inside of the royal palace called the Sunspire beyond. While the guys looked proud and clapped each other on the back, Kael'thas stayed as calm as possible. When that was finished, he went and put one hand on the metal handle of Saturna's casket. Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze joined Kael'thas so that there were two pall-bearers on either side.

They lifted it in unison. The white bouquet of stargazer lilies fixed atop the butter yellow wood casket trembled slightly.

_Kael'thas? Why so quiet…_

Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider said nothing to the voice of Illidan within his mind, felt nothing as he and the three Bloodknights marched through the tenuous breach in time and space to Silvermoon City beyond.

_Moments later, in the Sunspire…_

The first thing they heard on arriving in Silvermoon City was the booming voice of Grand Magister Rommath. In the far off throne room, he was arguing so loudly and vehemently with Halduron and Lorth'remar about his Prince's cause in Outland, it was tempting to go and ask him if he had in fact known that Kael'thas was returning at that very moment. But it was no show. Rommath was that loyal.

Kael'thas remained focused on the ground. It wasn't clear what he thought about that.

As they marched solemnly out of the mage's alcove and the summoning lei lines, Sunthraze turned to glance into the throne room. He wanted to see if the three men currently half-running the city noticed the Prince of Quel'thalas walking through the castle under their very noses. People portaled into the city using that lei line all the time though. Unless Kael'thas revealed himself, no one would think that they were anything less than humble travelers.

A young girl did see them though. She ran over and bowed low. Kael'thas bristled and stopped walking. A handful of other novice mages saw and rushed up to him as well.

"I'm sorry sir, but you didn't hear me? We want to give our condolences… please don't think us rude."

The three Bloodknights watched Kael'thas. It wasn't clear what he wanted to do. It was tempting to reveal him against his will, so that all of Silvermoon would know that their Prince had returned…

"Whom are you burying today?" the girl asked again. Her friends looked annoyed with her rude question and she hastily added, "Um… So that we might pass along the word and light candles later?"

Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze waited, it felt forever, for Kael'thas to either announce or hide the terrible news.

"My champion and our son."

The girl looked confused, because this stranger seemed to have named several people that couldn't possibly fit in the casket together. The others nudged her for staring though, bowed their heads and wished aloud that the Eternal Sun shine upon them.

Kael'thas and the others left the Sunspire.

Sunthraze commented, "I swear I used to see that same girl every time I portaled back to the city. Aurosalia I think her name is… she's always been turned into a giraffe or some crazy animal."

"Because she talks too much." Kael'thas grunted, and Sunthraze was quiet once more.

The city guards with their double edged swords, tall red phoenix shields, and wearing the red regalia of the royal family, watched disguised Prince Kael'thas walk the length of the carpeted drawbridge down into the city. It was odd… that Kael'thas himself was among them and they didn't know. Always, the city guard seemed like they were waiting to use those shields, to leap into action when their Prince returned.

It wasn't clear where Kael'thas was leading the Bloodknights. When they passed by the Bloodknight Barracks and Lady Liadrin's headquarters near the Royal Exchange, the three men held their breaths.

A raven-haired Bloodknight on a Thalassian Charger came by, looked down his nose at the four of them and said, "What, is this _another_ victim of the Scourge? I sincerely hope it isn't, because we passed a law that no bearer of the Plague is to come through the city."

"It isn't that." Pyorin spoke up.

The stuffy Bloodknight stopped his horse directly in front of them. "I believe I know your voice."

Kael'thas finally said, "And maybe I know yours, so what? What difference does that make when I am trying to bury my beloved?"

The man on charger perked up on hearing him. "Are you…"

"Of noble blood? Yes. One of my ancestors no doubt bought and sold your ass long ago. Now get out of my way!"

"The Bloodknights of Silvermoon do not tolerate insolence, Sir! And you sound like one who would appreciate a set a shackles around your hands and feet—"

Pyorin hastily unhooked his coinpurse and tossed the whole thing at the man. "We beg safe passage through the city to our departed friend's burial site…" he waited for Kael'thas to fill in where that was exactly, but he didn't.

"Now, you're speaking my language." The raven-haired man on horse responded. I'll pass the word, but I _don't _have time to escort you myself. I hope that's not what you were expecting from one of Lady Liadrin's handpicked Bloodknights."

After the mounted guard left, Sunthraze grumbled, "Who does this guy think he is?" Kael'thas pulled them all forward before any more conflict could arise. When they nearly passed through the red stone gates into the Royal Exchange though, the cocky redhead twisted around and got a middle finger in the air.

"Thank you for that, Sunthraze." Kael'thas told him.

"You know, Kael'thas, those statues of you don't do you any justice—"

"I said _thank you_, Sunthraze." Kael'thas snapped.

"Sorry, but when I get anxious I tend to rip on people… I'll be quiet now."

They passed through the remainder of the city drawing little more than fleeting handfuls of sympathetic onlookers. People were afraid to gather together for very long in the streets though. Magisters were everywhere, pretending to tend to unseen magical dysfunction in the city and stopping to conjure every few places.

Kael'thas shook his head after passing one of them. "There's not a damned thing wrong with _that_ lei line… is this what the Magisters Rommath recruited do all day, harass the people by prowling about?"

Sunthraze answered, "Yes, and it's a shame isn't it? If only someone really big and strong could come along and make all the bad people go away."

"Excuse me?! That's completely out of line, even for you—"

He insisted, "Saturna had to live with this too, you know Kael'thas. She hated it."

"Well of course she would! You think I don't realize that? I mean, how could a person even have a free thought, with Bloodknights begging for bribes every few paces from law-abiding citizens and Magisters conjuring small spells to make you jump if you stand in any one place too long?"

"Which reminds me," Fennore soberly put in, "We had better pick up the pace before they accuse us of fraternizing in public. Gathering in groups of more than two at a time… that is also against the law, Kael'thas."

Kael'thas had wanted to leave through the main gate, but they explained to him that it was never fully restored after Arthas ruined it. They would have to use the Shepard's Gate. But when they got there, Kael'thas stopped them again. This time, city guards were overseeing the harassment of a helpless citizen by a Bloodknight right in the street.

"Where did you hear it?" the Bloodknight was saying, "That Kael'thas has joined the Burning Legion?"

"It's not a lie Sir, an Orc came through here yesterday and told us everything he saw in Outland."

"Revolutionary! Do you mean to overthrow the Prince himself with your lies?"

"No, please… I have a family—"

One of the city guards came over and kicked the unarmed man hard in the gut.

Kael'thas lurched forward on seeing it. Fennore, who held the casket behind him, failed to hold his Prince back in time…

"You four!" the Bloodknight turned to them and stepped right in front of the disguised Kael'thas. "Move along there, unless you want the same for conspiring with this revolutionary!"

Again, they watched Kael'thas get on the verge of exposing himself for the sake of justice. From beneath his hood, Kael'thas stared the man down. It was obvious that he wanted to put a stop to it, very badly.

"My _friend_," Fennore said in a very low whisper, "Unless you are ready to… re-take the throne here and now, I suggest we continue on. Because nothing short of intervention from the very top of this crooked dictatorship can save that man's family from buying his freedom after the hired Bloodknights, Rommath's Magisters, and the City Guard are through having their fun."

The helpless kicked citizen curled up into a ball and covered his face when the city guard again closed in. One couldn't see what they were doing to him, for the long red and gold phoenix shields.

"But he's only telling the truth. That's not fair…" Kael'thas mumbled under his breath.

Pyorin looked up with the others. "What was that?"

Kael'thas glanced back at them, caught off guard. "Nothing… we should move along, before it gets dark. Nor do I know how long we have, with Illidan…" They began walking again, though Kael'thas couldn't take his eyes off the guards' poor victim.

They left through the Shepard's Gate, the same gate that all the Blood Elves used to come and go into their city. Considering the leash Grand Magister Rommath had on all of Silvermoon's citizens, the irony was no longer lost on Kael'thas.

They had to walk across the Dead Scar to get to Falconwing Square. During that quiet pause, Pyorin explained to Kael'thas, "Not all Bloodknights are like the two we saw… but Lady Liadrin owes the Magisters for creating our soldier-class in the first place, with the help of the Naaru you sent. It's hard to get permission to leave Quel'thalas, you see, and too many of the Bloodknights who must stay behind fall into that trap—in fact I think the Magisters encourage them to become arrogant and corrupt… But they only really end up becoming little more than enforcers and puppets for Rommath. His Magisters don't wish to be seen doing the dirty work. Kael'thas, if we had someone who could—"

"I'm not one to judge." Kael'thas uncomfortably cut off what was fast turning into some sort of lecture. "Please, gentlemen, I need this day to be about Saturna…"

They came to Falconwing Square and after taking a few moments to get his bearings, Kael'thas headed north. They took an overpass raised above an outlying portion of Silvermoon City and exited the old gates.

Just beyond that, Kael'thas and the three Bloodknights crossed a footbridge to Sunstrider Isle. Saturna's coffin was carried over gentle green grass and among golden trees past doe-eyed novice Blood Elf soldiers just starting out. Docile red Lynxes skittered out of their way. A few curious city guards eyed them but went back to minding the troublesome young elves. Grand Magister Rommath had even sent the city guard out this far to enforce the lie of Kael'thas' perfect rule on the people. They called it 'keeping the peace' of course.

Kael'thas made his final stop before the Shrine of Dath'remar, the first Sunstrider King of Quel'thalas.

They set down Saturna's casket and knelt reverently for a few moments. Then, Kael'thas got up, removed his red gloves and placed both hands on the gold plaque at the base of the white obelisk.

Apparently, something was supposed to happen when he did it because Kael'thas got very agitated after moments of inactivity.

"Sonofa—" he pressed his palms on it again. "Did they lock me out?"

The three Bloodknights shared a look.

Kael'thas slammed both hands on it a third time. "No… oh, I'll kill them. I'll_kill_ them! How dare they lock me out of my father's grave?"

"My Prince? But that's only the shrine of Dath'remar…"

"Fennore, be quiet! You think I don't know that? The shrine is on top, my family crypt is in a chamber miles below…" Kael'thas was banging on the gold plaquard now, prying at the edges with his fingers. "I have the magical gift of the family line… how in the hell could they change it from something like that? Dammit, I'm still one of them!"

He swore loudly, and told them all to get back.

"Wait," Sunthraze recalled, "I think when I started out here I remember there being some sort of taint on the island… Kael'thas, maybe you shouldn't take this personally when it could just be malfunctioning—"

Sunthraze's rare dry observation was too little too late. Kael'thas shot a fireball directly into the rock foundation of his ancestor's shrine. Shards of white marble flew everywhere as he mercilessly destroyed more and more of it. Frightened little tree elementals called Tenders that tramped about the bushes skittered even further from them. Blood Elves, whose inclination towards all things magic tended to guide them to the other extreme began to wander near. Pyorin and the others winced and looked around nervously.

"Do you think that's about six feet?" Kael'thas breathed rapidly after a while and put his arms down. When they didn't answer fast enough, "WELL?!"

The Bloodknights quickly piped in their anxious agreement.

When the rock had cooled a bit, Kael'thas opened the casket and took one last look at the woman he loved. He knelt and graced a fingertip over Saturna's cheek.

"I don't want to say good bye…" He lifted her hands and kissed them.

Pyorin and the others bowed their heads. Kael'thas hugged her hand with the black wedding band to his chest and completely lost himself during that last heartwrenching moment.

"Oh Starshine… I will love you always and forever. And words can never express… just how sorry I am, for hurting you, for doubting you." He rubbed the heel of his hand across his eyes. "You told me, towards the end, that you gave your life to me and I carelessly gave it away. This is me giving you your life back. Back to Quel'thalas, the home you loved. I wish with all of my heart that we could have been married, that I could have given you the one joy of your life that you had been dreaming of… and what a foolish man I've been, to know how badly you wanted it and just keep it from you the way I did!" Kael'thas bent completely over the casket. His tears slid down Saturna's ashen wrists, stained her fingers. "But you are a part of my family, you and Belorim will be everything to me in death if not in life. You were truly my queen. I never told you this—because you would have never let it go," he laughed briefly, bittersweet, "but I felt it in my heart. You were simply perfect for me, my partner, as you promised you would be until the end." He gently folded Saturna's hands back across her stomach. "Please share that beautiful love, that crazy," another heartfelt laugh, "fangirl devotion with my ancestors. Their spirits rest here also. They must think that I've forgotten about them, but I haven't. It breaks my heart, but I haven't Saturna. I know that they will welcome you into my family, you and our precious son." Then, with an effort, Kael'thas closed the coffin on his beloved. "Now sleep, my beautiful Starshine, safe here. Safe at last."

Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze gave Kael'thas all the time he needed before they helped him to lower the coffin into the makeshift grave. It turned out to be too shallow. After everything else that had gone wrong, Kael'thas became engaged.

He used more fire spells to rip rock from the rest of the monument and covered the last half foot of earth the best he could. When he was done, the shrine of his ancestor was nearly ruined. The white obelisk leaned dangerously to the side. Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze were upset to see him do it, but Kael'thas didn't look like he cared.

With renewed strength, Kael'thas reached a hand out to Sunthraze. "The sword."

He tried to warn his Prince about the white blade spell, but Kael'thas let it burn him. He wanted to hold Saturna's sword, even if it was painful. At last he raised it overhead and drove it into the pile of rocks at the unsettled head of the grave. More fire spells later, and Kael'thas melted the rocks so that they were one solid jagged pile. Then he reached into his robes, pulled out a tiny gold plate, set that at the base of everything near the grass and torched it into place as well.

When it was done, Kael'thas reached both hands up, smoothed his hair back out of habit. The hood came off. Gasps rose from the crowd that gathered.

They'd come so quietly, Kael'thas hadn't even noticed.

"The Prince has returned!" someone shouted.

His Bloodknights flashed worried looks. Kael'thas took a tentative step back behind them.

The people began to speak in excited tones. City guards were drawn to the commotion. Weapons raised momentarily when they saw what this intruder had done to the ancient Shrine of Dath'remar but then… they realized who it was standing before them. The guards dropped their weapons and knelt on hands and knees. The people began to do the same. A hush settled on everything and everyone.

All except for Kael'thas. He took a step forward. "Like this? It's not supposed to be like this…"

Pyorin looked up. "My Prince? Are you alright?"

Kael'thas came closer to the people. "Where are your stones?"

No answer.

"Your torches, your… pitchforks? The insults, the hate you are supposed to have for me?"

One of the guards clapped a salute and said confidently, "Our lives are yours!"

Kael'thas turned back to the Bloodknights. "Why do they sound so much like you… Did you somehow… fool them? Is Lady Liadrin behind this? Or perhaps Rommath…"

Pyorin slowly shook his head. "I guess they… feel towards you the way we do. They love you, Kael'thas." He bowed.

"But that can't be? Don't they know—"

"What does this mean, that you should come back and defile the shrine of your ancestor? Have you come back to bring a new age?" someone in the growing crowd asked. This was not a novice sin'dorei soldier, but an adult. People must have heard as far away as Silvermoon, and were coming to the island…

To their excited wondering, Kael'thas said. "No. I'm… sorry."

This confused them.

"I've only come to bury my beloved… nothing more."

"So the rumors of a ball are true… the Bloodknight Saturna Whiteblade _was_ your lover."

Kael'thas came forward warily. He realized that this meant they only knew so much. Between Rommath's control over information and the gulf of communication between Outland and Azeroth, they were months behind. And that made sense. Most people in Outland right now must have assumed he was dead, after falling at the gates of Shatthrath City.

Kael'thas nodded. "Yes, I did love her. I came home to bury her—"

A chorus of voices returned,

"She died?!"

"Our hearts go out to you, my Prince."

"You've defiled the Shrine of Dar'thremar over a woman!" an old gentleman in the back flared. "Shame on you! You've dishonored the memory of every Sunstrider underneath that earth… and your poor father, he would be angry to know—"

"What do you know about my father!" Kael'thas yelled back. Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze feared he would lose his temper in front of everyone, but Kael'thas ignored them. "I am his son, I know what is best! Who do you think first showed this place to me, taught me about the kings of the past? Who else told me to always honor my family, to bury the dead here in this place so that each beloved soul could rest, bathed in the magical gift of the Sunstrider line? Don't speak to me about such things."

It could have ended there, but Kael'thas was still angry. "And how dare you speak about my Saturna that way! Do you know what she meant to me, to all of us?" his voice broke. "She was my _heart_. She gave up everything for me and we had a son…" to himself he mourned, "We were to get married… Saturna Whiteblade wasn't just any woman, kinsman. She was my Starshine. And all she wanted was for me to come back. She paid the price for believing in me, with her life."

Silence. Kael'thas stopped pacing and took in the scene. He'd seen horrible things in Outland, experienced such cruelty at the hands of both his friends and his enemies. But all around him, Sunstrider Isle was still beautiful. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened there. Why? Because they planted some new trees… no. It was because the people had worked hard to make the place right again. It was that effort that shone through the earth and the buildings. No, it wasn't perfect, but they had all survived, hadn't they? The sin'dorei were not defeated. It occurred to Kael'thas then that he'd been living in Outland as if the opposite were true. When, exactly, had he given up on his people, gone to extremes to subjugate lesser races in Outland, steal as if he had nothing of his own, kill as if he were in the middle of a war, his back pressed up against the wall. Hiding and lying to everyone as if it were the end of the world and sharing that horrible reality with the people of Quel'thalas would tear them all apart.

He had somehow turned the loss of his father, the devastation of his country, and then the betrayal of the Alliance into crises for the world to deal with. Kael'thas saw that he had expanded his sorrow such that everyone would suffer with him, instead of allowing the grief to rest on his shoulders alone. Now, more than ever, those damning words, that he was 'selfish and cruel' hit home. It was because he was still grieving, in fact, Kael'thas had stubbornly refused to stop.

Saturna had got him off the arcane crystals, and made him aware of the twisted addiction to Illidan, but his grief was the last way in which he had been killing himself. In order to live, truly live, he would have to let the anger, the cycle of revenge go once and for all.

Kael'thas wasn't sure how to do it, but he found himself saying, "Yes, I have returned."

Kael'thas said it so low, they hadn't heard. While Pyorin, Fennore, and Sunthraze smiled, he said it again.

"I was afraid to ascend the throne, even in my father's time. The responsibility seemed overwhelming… but I don't think that… I would be isolating myself as I feared." He looked some of the people gathered right in the eyes. "I would be joining you, wouldn't I? I would be lending a hand to the monumental task of restoring this land. But then again, it is not so tremendous, is it? You all have already done so much and I can do more. I see it now." He looked over his shoulder at the Bloodknights. "Saturna always said that I was capable of a great deal of good, in addition to… well, I refuse to be that way anymore. I want to make things right."

Kael'thas announced in a loud voice, "I vow, here and now, that I will do everything that it takes, I will bring the Sun itself down out of the sky if I have to, to make things right!"

The onlookers cheered with relief. People started to cry, to scream with joy. Kael'thas raised a fist in the air, and shouted along with them.

"Ugh, we got company." Pyorin observed then and pointed over the heads of the crowd. Three men, it could only be Halduron, Lor'thremar, and Rommath were running toward them on foot flanked on all sides by city guards.

Sunthraze laughed. "It's nothing really. I'd say this is an excellent time for a coup—"

_DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE A FOOL OF ME!_

Everyone in the immediate vicinity startled. Somehow they sensed that they weren't supposed to hear it, this vile demonic voice that erupted from Prince Kael'thas.

Kael'thas rushed a hand to his neck. It looked like he couldn't breathe and he pitched forward.

"I AM YOUR BROTHER! I AM YOUR MASTER!"

Grand Magister Rommath and the others were still a ways down the hill. Had the leaders of Silvermoon heard?

Kael'thas kept agonizing and yelling. "I WILL BREAK YOU, I WILL TAKE THEM AWAY FROM YOU, JUST AS I DID WITH HER—"

Kael'thas reached through the Soul Link to his old friend and begged, _Please…you know that this was meant to be eventually. Illidan, let me go._

"I am a murderer!" Illidan forced Kael'thas to shout at the top of his lungs, "I kill women and children. I burn and defile the land of Netherstorm. I encourage my scientists to unleash plagues of arcane energy on innocents, mana bombs… I am a liar, I am a fiend, I am the cohort of Lord Illidan Stormrage, the Demon Lord of Outland. That is the truth: death, lies, and destruction. That is the destiny I offer you!"

_Shall I tell them about your dealings with the Legion as well?_

_I…hate…you…_

_I hate them because they are in my way, Kael'thas. Do you know what happens to feckless wastes of life that are in my way?_

Kael'thas looked up at his Bloodknights then. "Illidan… is nearby."

"What!" Sunthraze flared.

"He is going to kill everyone here… level the city. He's showing me… it will be worse than the Scourge because he is a full Demon now… I must go back."

"Please… help me up." Kael'thas reached a hand out to them.

"Help you leave? Help you abandon us again—"

Kael'thas angrily cut Sunthraze off. "HELP ME, TO HELP THEM! By thinking of someone else other than yourself, for once! Unless you want to lose everything, like I have… Saturna was wrong about that one part. I can never get my country, my people back. It is like I always said…"

Fennore and Pyorin gave Kael'thas a hand up. They supported him while he conjured.

Pyorin pleaded, "Please, Kael'thas, don't go back to the Black Temple!"

Fennore added, "We came too far for this, for you to give up now."

Kael'thas bent over when he was finished, gasped for breath after the exhaustive effort. "Who says… I'm giving up?"

A portal to Tempest Keep hovered there in mid-air, ready for them.

"But it is the same…" Sunthraze quietly worried.

"I won't force you." Kael'thas made himself stand. "You three served me well, nor do I wish to force anyone else… anymore." He didn't say goodbye, perhaps because it was so painful. "I will go first, so that you can truly decide for yourselves."

Then Kael'thas walked into the dazzling blue and disappeared.

Fennore blurt out, "That is a good man!" He looked at his friends and rushed to give them heartfelt hugs. "I won't leave Kael'thas after everything, after Saturna… I'm sorry, my friends." He saluted and rushed through the portal.

Sunthraze looked at Pyorin. "We might not see this place ever again, if we go."

Pyorin didn't know what to say, so he said something else. "You know what, buddy… Kael'thas made this mess all on his own. But… I've gotta' help him clean it up. I _have_ to, you understand? You saw what I saw, didn't you? He wanted to stay here, he wanted to change—"

"Oh, go already, you pansy." Sunthraze pushed him. Pyorin winced and snagged his friend in a hug then went through the fading portal as well.

Now there was only one Bloodknight left.

The people were stricken, having heard Kael'thas say such horrible things with no explanation at all. But what was worse, Sunthraze knew, was that their Prince had promised to stay with them and then taken it back. That in itself proved what the eerie voice had said, that he was a liar. And if Kael'thas would lie to his own people, then what about the rest…

"Look," Sunthraze tried to reason with them. He realized that he sounded desperate. "He's not a good guy. Alright, he's a really mean sonofabitch. You don't even know what's it's been like for him though… with Illidan, and the lies, and Lady Vashj even."

He wasn't making any sense and he knew it.

Sunthraze couldn't even see the people anymore, for his tears. "But Saturna was the best one, the best thing that ever happened to him, or any of us. After he lost her, getting back here was so _hard_. I mean, he could have died. He thought you all hated him, and that you were going to kill him… And maybe now that you know the truth, you even want to." Sunthraze took a breath, and couldn't help taking in Saturna's sword once more. Why did it make him want to go nearer, to protect it… It made him feel that way since he touched it at Shatthrath City, he realized. For it to ground him here now… "But for some reason, after all this craziness, _I_ don't."

The portal was nearly gone. Sunthraze glanced at it nervously. "It's cause Kael'thas has balls." He gained confidence. "Yeah, I said it! Illidan treated him like… like worse than shit, you know, but he still didn't give up. Just now, you saw Kael'thas get the Lord of Outland really pissed at him, and he's even got this nasty collar around his neck too… It isn't even supposed to be physically possible, for Kael'thas to fuck with Illidan like that, and then he couldn't stay here, could he? But Kael'thas made a way out of no way… he still managed to get to Illidan in the end. Hell, Kael'thas is probably going to do worse than die now, because he betrayed The Betrayer. But going to Tempest Keep instead, that's like one… big… middle finger in the face."

Then, they gasped when Sunthraze did it. He looked up into the sky, and was able to point out the shadow of Illidan Stormrage where he soared high above the clouds. Both Blades of Azzinoth glinted in the sun as he circled the towers Silvermoon City.

Sunthraze flushed red and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Fuck you, Illidan! Fuck you, for Quel'thalas, for these people and this land… FOR MY PRINCE!" then Sunthraze sprinted through the fading portal to join his friends.

It was not clear if Illidan Stormrage heard the young Bloodknight. But the shadow of the great Demon passed over Silvermoon City on that day. What use was Quel'thalas to him, what use had it ever been when what he wanted was back in Outland. But getting his brother back was going to be harder than ever. And not just because of the vast distance between Netherstorm and Shadowmoon Valley, or the defenses of Tempest Keep. Saturna Whiteblade had shown Kael'thas Sunstrider that his friend was not someone he could rely on, because revenge was not worth the struggle. In truth, that was all Illidan had ever been able to offer Kael'thas, power and revenge.

And so, as he soared back through the black portal in the sky that his minions had conjured, Illidan Stormrage scowled at what he knew this was, despite his desperate efforts to prevent it over the last two years in Outland:

A victory for Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider.


	30. Epilogue

**My Life for My Prince**

**Epilogue:**

Lady Liadrin was drawn out of her thoughts briefly when the voices of two women drifted towards her in the darkness. The loud and haughty mocking overtone that could care less about people sleeping at this later hour was most definitely Lucia, whom they called the Tempestraven. The more timid, cheerful voice was Daphne the Weaver.

"There's nothing wrong with me observing that Magnus is handsome, even if the Blood Nexus is going to have to kill him. A dead man can be sexy." It was a terrible joke for Tempest to make.

"You mean a _marked_ man… you can't be a necrophiliac _and _a whore, Tempest. That would just be too much." Daphne replied. As usual, they were arguing. Or more than likely, Tempest was being argumentative, and Daphne was stuck defending herself.

"I have no qualms attacking an attractive man, Daphne. You see, the way it works is, I take the sword and stab it inside of him." The woman's plate armor and many weapons chinked loudly in the night. "Sex is much the same way, except his sword goes inside of you… wait, you wouldn't know, would you Daphne?" she smiled evilly.

"You slut."

"Virgin." Tempestraven laughed outrageously, and the two women jogged down the hill together. "Hey Bosslady, guess whose directions on how to find Magnus the Unmaker were a ruse, and I'll give you the same guess as to who set us up to fail on our little mission, and third, this same person is also in need of a spanking on behalf of the entire Blood Nexus for abusing his power all over Tanaris…What in the world?" she said when at last they noticed the blinding white light.

Lady Liadrin wondered why they were being so obvious, and what possessed them to approach the Shrine of Dath'remar and Saturna's grave with such little reverence? Then the Bloodknight Matriarch covered her mouth. The poor things… they didn't know yet.

"Kael'thas was here." Lady Liadrin found the strength to say, without looking at them.

"Was he really?" Daphne sounded hopeful. "They succeeded then! Where's Sunthraze the Sly, the new guy? We were both recruited around the same time weren't we, though I never got to go to any of the meetings in Silvermoon when he was around. Sunthraze sounds like a real character, and I've been wanting to meet him."

Tempestraven rolled her eyes. "It's not Sunthraze who's new, it's Fennore. Sunthraze was all but initiated when he left. Fennore's the one without a name still. I've not met either of them but from what Pyorin once told me, Sunthraze is the immature one who probably slacked off on the recruitment. It's very possible that Fennore rejected their offer in the first place."

Tempestraven waltzed over to the desecrated monument of the first Blood Elf king. Only, Kael'thas had not intended to destroy it, but enhance it. Saturna's grave and the shrine together were beautiful. The irony of it was easy to miss, at first glance.

Lady Liadrin didn't have the heart to tell them. "I… you should read what our Prince left behind."

Always armed to the teeth, Tempestraven had to sweep aside her red axe and longsword to kneel down properly. The shield on her back slipped over her right shoulder and covered the long hunting knife strapped there. She sucked her teeth and struggled to fix it back.

Lady Liadrin wanted to bash Tempest in the head for taking so long, for drawing the tragedy out.

Tempest snickered. "Our little secret weapon, the Whiteblade. All she ever talked about was meeting Kael'thas one day. And it wasn't always decent either. Daphs, you remember that night we took her out to the tavern? All that fangirl talk nearly scared the guys away… I bet she got to Kael'thas alright. Especially when it was already her life's mission to sleep with the poor man."

"Specifically, the bet I made that night was that Saturna would succeed at bringing Kael'thas back home." Daphne corrected. "Read it and then give me the five hundred gold you owe me."

Tempestraven continued to chat as she read to herself. "Maybe you and the Lady agree, but I'd get out my purse and start counting gold if I were you, Virgin. I say she compromised her mission, threw her morals to the winds and embraced our lost Prince in all his nefarious glory with wide open legs. Maybe the four of them haven't sent us any letters, but I heard a little rumor about a Ball at the Black Temple the other day, thrown by Kael'thas for Illidan's evil allies, and you-know-who was the so-called Lady of Honor, his Queen…"

Tempestraven sat back on her heels in the grass, and looked up from the plaque. Daphne was alarmed at her friend's reaction and came forward too.

"She's dead." Daphne gasped.

Tempestraven got immediately to her feet, drew her sword and axe, shrugged the shield further back over her shoulders. "Who killed her? Come on, Virgin. Our horses are still packed from Tanaris, we could be in Outland in a week if we leave tonight."

"But Tempest, it doesn't say." Daphne mourned. "I… Mother Whiteblade is dead? Sure there was a chance but she was very good, the best. How could this have happened? Oh my goodness! These last few months Tempest, we were remembering all the jokes, the stories, looking forward to hanging out again when she got back, it was so fun that one time… and now here we are, carrying on like always when… Oh, by the Sun! Bless her, I had no idea." She bowed her head reverently.

Tempest fairly shouted at Lady Liadrin, who winced. "Tell me what to do, Bloodknight Matriarach! Was it one of…the Nexites? Is that what happened? If that's the case we should have been consulted, right? Those are the rules, they need to know if we are in consensus first!"

"Brother Tank, Brother Sly… and Fennore, I can't tell if he's one of us yet or not, were the ball-bearers. Prince Kael'thas portaled the four of them back here, right inside the royal palace. They walked through our home, carrying her coffin through the renovations, through the ruins, to this very spot. Maybe he was trying to get into the family crypt. King Anasterian is buried miles underneath the earth here, along with the other Sunstriders." Lady Liadrin had to pause. The tears had come back, anew. "I've asked around for every eyewitness account I could find at this late hour. That is the most anyone knows, that Kael'thas was angry, that he made this grave out of anger… and then that…"

"Out with it!" Tempestraven became impatient.

Daphne put a hand on her friend's arm and made her sheathe her weapons. "Calm down, Tempest, it's not going to do anyone any good."

Lady Liadrin forced herself to keep going. "Kael'thas was making a speech, something about staying: 'I vow, here and now, that I will do everything that it takes, I will bring the Sun itself down out of the sky if I have to…' He was ready to stay, he meant to stay here with her. He said it was Saturna's final wish… but then Kael'thas fell to the ground, yelling about a voice in his head… everyone I spoke to knew that part. He kept calling to his 'Master', begging forgiveness, swearing to whomever it was never to leave their side again. After, they say Pyorin and the others helped Kael'thas up, held him while he summoned a portal… they said it looked like it was to Tempest Keep, then they left." She counted on her fingers, "Brother Tank was first, then Fennore, and finally Brother Sly. It looked like he didn't want to leave though. Sunthraze kept saying that Kael'thas was a good man, and not to believe the rumors…"

Lady Liadrin shrugged, feeling helpless. "Rommath, Halduron, Lor'thremar… they never tell me anything, damn them! I was busy with Magister Astalorn. My own Bloodknights, my Nexites were right here, on this spot," she stamped the upturned earth with her silver plate boot. "And no one was even kind enough to tell me. I have no idea if they are well, or if they've lost heart, if they stopped being Nexites… I haven't a clue."

"Oh, how sad… she died carrying Kael'thas' baby." Daphne had gone back to the plaque.

"What!" both Lady Liadrin and Tempestraven exclaimed together.

"It doesn't say that!" Lady Liadrin scolded.

"Yes it does… he goes on and on about her body, and there's this part covered with earth… looks like a word, a name... And, Tempest, you were just saying he threw a Ball for her. Maybe there was even a wedding too. Aww, how romantic. Oh, and how sad for Saturna. Well, at least in her last days, she must have been happy."

"Look, Virgin. You need to get those fairy-tale notions out of your head. It says nothing about that! Saturna clearly went too far with her silly fantasy and got herself killed."

"But then, why is the blade still white?" Lady Liadrin wondered aloud. She began to pace as she thought about it.

The other two women got worried. Lady Liadrin only paced like that when she was onto something big.

"However melted that Corrupted Ashbringer is, it's still Saturna's sword. And that's not an enchantment, it's her White Blade spell. Daphne, Lucia, you girls have never seen it before, but I have. That's what it looks like when Saturna calls on it. The sword is like a catalyst. She must have some kind of weapon to summon the power. It could probably be anything, even a rock… the weapon itself doesn't matter. But the spell is not in its final stage. Conjuring it is lightning-quick, but Saturna releases it at the end. It leaves her, leaves the sword intact. So then why, if she called on it at the end of her life, is it still in this dormant state?"

Tempest grunted. "Obviously, she didn't kill whatever it was that she was fighting when she died. It killed her."

Lady Liadrin pressed, "But what in the world, what in Outland is so strong that it could resist the White Blade spell, or at least manage to kill Saturna first before she could cast it?"

Daphne spoke up next. "There's another thing too. Why didn't Pyorin or any of the others resurrect Saturna? I have a hard time believing that fellow Nexites would just abandon each other like that, unless…" she got quiet. "You don't think Saturna went against them, do you? Maybe Brother Sly used his Hand of Light spell—"

"Don't be daft, Daphne!" Tempestraven heated. "Sunthraze is in love with Saturna. He would never do that to her."

Lady Liadrin and Daphne looked at Tempestraven, in shock. "What?" she defended herself. "Pyorin told me. We share everything, we did used to date."

"Pyorin doesn't date anyone." Lady Liadrin mumbled. "Look, we are going down the wrong track here, ladies. My gut is telling me that there is more to this grave than meets the eye. I haven't been able to walk away from it, not since I first came here and saw it for myself. And countless other people have been drawn to it… those were the people I asked, many had seen the speech and left but only to come back with friends and family."

"Could it be…" Daphne hesitated, "Is Saturna really in that grave?"

"Call me sacrilegious, but I want to dig up that coffin, disturb the dead if it's even in there, and see for myself." Lady Liadrin admitted.

"Ex-priestess! I'm surprised at you." Tempestraven mocked, her frown turning up slightly.

"Why would Kael'thas react so terribly to a fake funeral though?" Liadrin tapped a finger to her lips pensively. "Pyorin and the others were truly broken-hearted about it. Kael'thas… angered his Master, just to come here and bury her. Nothing is as final and irrevocable as death. Nothing drives people to further extremes. Nothing before has ever been able to bring Kael'thas back. And my own Nexites were so distracted by what must have been a real tragedy that they did not report in to me. That is what angers me the most. All this could have been simply explained," Lady Liadrin lowered her voice, "And Kael'thas back on the throne by now if those knuckleheads had just reported in! No, Saturna is most certainly dead, though it's hard to accept because we ourselves didn't see it. Acting so rashly like that, it's not Pyorin's style... and pretty much confirms that Saturna was beyond anyone's saving."

Tempest sighed. "I agree, Brother Tank… well, he's Father Tank now, has always had a good head on his shoulders." She then smoothed short cropped red hair out of her face and leaned on Daphne who was not as tall. Daphne reached up and pulled Tempestraven into a hug.

"But that still does not explain why the White Blade is dormant!" Lady Liadrin became frustrated and threw her hands up overhead.

Daphne brought Tempestraven over and stood in front of Lady Liadrin so that she would stop looking at Saturna's sword.

"We're all too upset right now to think about this clearly." Daphne shook her head. "Whatever happened to Saturna and the others, is clearly complex. We can't figure it all out right here, right now. There needs to be an investigation, and that may take time."

"Please, leave me be." Lady Liadrin waved them off.

Daphne didn't like it the idea of leaving Lady Liadrin alone, but Tempestraven began to cry then. "Take care, Matriarch." Daphne nodded her head respectfully. Then the healer supported her tank, and the two women struggled off together back into the night.

Lady Liadrin stayed near the sword all night long. The sword was hot enough that she didn't need a fire. Heat was life. Magic was actually alive… few people understood that. That was how mortal creatures could wield magic naturally, especially the Light, because it was bound up in the stuff of life. It was like taking air into your lungs to breathe, drinking water, which was an element. People saw shamans—who were masters of the elements—as close to nature, and also druids… but mages were the same, priests were the same. Lady Liadrin kept going around and around this thought aimlessly, determined to see what she could feel, which was physically impossible.

A young girl, who introduced herself as Aurosalia was the first visitor to Saturna's grave the following morning. Lady Liadrin was too tired to take notice of anything else the young lady said, except that she was a mage.

That went with what Lady Liadrin was already thinking, that mages used magic. And that magic was life. Kael'thas should have known. Did he know? Lady Liadrin could rule out the things she didn't know, she'd already done this. But there was no way that Kael'thas could look at that sword and not see what Lady Liadrin was seeing. There was simply more to it. And it was so obvious. Lady Liadrin was proficient in the Light, Kael'thas was proficient in fire and shadow, a brilliant Bloodmage… he had to know more than she did. That he must have missed it on chance tore Lady Liadrin apart. All he had to do was stay for a few more hours, and all Halduron had to do was send one runner, just one. If Lady Liadrin had known Kael'thas was here, the two of them would have noticed the anomaly right away. They could have put their minds together, figured it all out. If Pyorin and Sunthraze had just come back… it would only take moments to see it. Lady Liadrin didn't want to believe that Saturna was dead, though it made the most sense. But when she wasn't sure herself of what was really going on with the dormant White Blade spell, Lady Liadrin didn't want to give Tempest and Daphne false hope.

"… but that's not true, is it?" Aurosalia was saying, "Prince Kael'thas can't be responsible for his own son's death. That would be horrible! I didn't hear the speech? Did he explain it at all?"

Lady Liadrin looked up. She had been sitting on the grass, hugging her knees. And only now did she realize that she was drifting in and out of sleep. "What did you say?"

"He spoke to me, though at the time I didn't know it was him, I swear. I asked Prince Kael'thas who was in the casket when he portaled into the palace. I was there with the other novice mages, doing polymorph exercises. I didn't think he'd even answer me, I was turned into a giraffe at the time." The girl paused to scowl briefly.

"No, no… I don't care about that. What did he say to you? Do you remember his exact words?"

Aurosalia looked around cautiously. "I… thought everyone knew. That's what the inscription means, right? His champion and his son are in the casket. That's what he said."

"But only one person is in that grave, or else there'd be two caskets. And Saturna simply wasn't gone long enough to carry to term—"

"Yes, the champion, and the mother of his child… that's what Prince Kael'thas said."

Lady Liadrin stood. She trembled. Of course… of course the spell was dormant. It wasn't the same White Blade spell, but something else, something Saturna had planned, had executed at the last moment because she knew that she was going to die. No… she had wanted to die, because that was the only way she could save the other part of her, to separate their souls… Everyone would see, but no one would know, except for the one person to whom it mattered, the brightest mage she knew. Kael'thas had every reason to recognize the magic of the Sunstrider line, combined with the White Blade spell. But for his grief… Was it possible that for his grief, and the trouble with his Master, Kael'thas simply missed it?

Aurosalia was asking over and over again if it was true that Kael'thas caused all this. Lady Liadrin ignored the girl, and went to touch the sword.

At first it burned white-hot, but Lady Liadrin dared to leave her hand there longer than most… After a few moments the magic responded to her touch. It cooled until it was warm, closer to the heat of a body. And there was a faint throbbing within… like a heartbeat, unless she imagined it?

The son of Kael'thas was alive, in the sword.

"You know better than me, Lady Liadrin… please, did he really murder his own son! Kael'thas was acting like it was all his fault… but that can't be true. The Bloodknight with the red hair, everyone is talking about how he kept saying at the end that Prince Kael'thas is a good person!"

Daphne was right, there would need to be an investigation. Right now, this was only a hunch, there was no proof. But before that could happen Lady Liadrin would have to get the sword away, out of Dath'remar's shrine somehow… That would require permission, however. And she didn't have any real standing over in the Sunspire. There would be so much political red tape for someone like her. And there weren't nearly enough Nexites in Silvermoon right now, with Pyorin and the others gone, to force Rommath, Halduron, and Lorth'remar to listen. If it was even safe to tell them…

"You must believe… what you know in your heart to be true." Lady Liadrin turned to the girl, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Leave the fact-finding to the authorities."

It would take a considerable effort, she would have to call in every favor that she had. Lady Liadrin decided that she would do whatever it took to prove what she knew. And then after that… No matter what, she would see the Prince of Quel'thalas.

And there would be others who needed to see him too, if he truly existed, if he survived his mother's panicked conjuring. Lady Liadrin hoped that the Nexites who remained in Outland would keep faith until that day, would hold true to their mission until that fateful moment when she would come for them, bring the truth before them. And if Kael'thas could meet his son… would that change his mind about everything?

No matter what, Lady Liadrin knew that she would have to make the journey and force Pyorin, Sunthraze, and Fennore to come to account at last. Maybe Pyorin was now Father Tank, but Lady Liadrin could always go over his head and name Tempestraven the new Mother of the line if he and the others became corrupt like the rumors about Kael'thas suggested. And if turned out that Pyorin and the others were responsible for Saturna's death at all, acting without consulting Daphne or Tempest first… Lady Liadrin would help Mother Tempestraven to cull the flock. But Lady Liadrin prayed it would not come to that, prayed that Saturna had not sired monsters. The sort of Bloodknights who took a liking to Outland the way the lost Prince Kael'thas did, and ruined themselves.

"His name was Belorim! That's what the part under the earth says… Isn't that, 'of the Light? or 'by the Light?' Am I interpreting this correctly? Lady Liadrin… Lady Liaaadrin?"

The woman named kept walking away, and hunched her shoulders. That girl Aurosalia was very annoying, no wonder her peers kept polymorphing her into animals like giraffes, who couldn't make noises.

"Belorim… it must mean 'born of the Light' in this context." She called over her shoulder. Then a small smile came and comforted Lady Liadrin. No matter her fate, Saturna had done well. Honestly, Lady Liadrin expected something stupid from the fluff-headed young woman, like Kael'thas Junior… Belorim was a good name for the son of Kael'thas Sunstrider.

The mother had given her life for her Prince. But the son of Kael'thas, he would bring the Light, give the Blood Elf people hope.

THE END

Author's Note: The sequel to this story is, as you may have guessed, called MLFMP2: The Son of Kael'thas. Thank you for reading!


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